CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers have hopped on the startup accelerator bandwagon, and a budding esports company is coming along for the ride.
On Tuesday, the Sixers officially opened the Sixers Innovation Lab Crafted By Kimball, a well-outfitted, 8,000-square-foot space at their massive business operations and training complex across the Delaware River from their home arena. A metallic facade gives way to an industrial open-plan interior with floor-to-ceiling windows, advanced technology and colorful furniture — “a space that kind of mimics…ultimately, we want this culture to be something that Google would aspire to,” said Kimball Office president Mike Wagner.
While Monster Roster, which recommends daily fantasy sports lineups, was the first to use the lab’s services in October, three other startups have since joined in. One in particular, U GIT GUD, is hoping to use the innovation lab to grow as its seeks to help esports players of all levels improve their game through videos, statistical analysis on player data, and live esports tournaments.
U GIT GUD, founded in 2017 by Cornell alumni Shinggo Lu and Alan Liang, is a notable presence at the lab because its mission is, in a way, intertwined with that of another Sixers-backed esports venture: Team Dignitas. Team Dignitas was bought by the Sixers in September and is the first esports squad to be sponsored by a professional sports franchise in the United States.
Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil stated that he believes the connection to Team Dignitas helped draw U GIT GUD into the innovation lab.
“Team Dignitas is our eSports organization — separate organization [from the Sixers] — but having the opportunity to bring in two really smart entrepreneurs, obviously, and take a look at how you can change the game through analytics and learning platforms, we think has application with Team Dignitas,” O’Neil said.
“We are super fortunate that the Sixers believe in eSports just as much as we do, and you can see that with their investment in Team Dignitas and how aggressive they are in the eSports space,” Lu told SportTechie. “I think that there are synergies between us and professional teams, and we will be exploring that in the future.”
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O’Neil also sees an opportunity for Team Dignitas to use the resources of the training complex to develop a health and wellness program, something he said is overlooked within esports.
Rounding out the Innovation Lab’s inaugural class of startups are Philadelphia-based Doc & Phoebe’s Cat Co., which uses veterinary research to reimagine how owners feed their cats, and Live Life Nice, a socially-driven media company founded by Christian Crosby, who began his career as an in-game performer with the Sixers.
As part of their participation in the Innovation Lab, these fledgling businesses receive office space in the lab, access to Sixers and industry executives, third-party marketing and legal services, and free food and housing. The startups can also use the lab to pitch potential investors and venture capital firms. There’s no limit on the number of startups that can use the lab at any one time, but managing director Seth Berger said he wants to keep it small so that each company can get the attention and resources it needs.
“I’m amazingly excited to be part of the Sixers Innovation Lab Crafted By Kimball,” Berger said. “Partnering with [Sixers co-owner] Josh Harris and also Scott O’Neil is amazing. They’re great businesspeople, and I wake up every day excited to come to work with these companies.”
The Innovation Lab could prove to be a perfect environment for these startups to hatch and grow. It could also produce another potentially lucrative business opportunity for the Sixers.