The Sports Tank Innovation Studio’s demo day during the NBA All-Star Weekend spotlighted five startups representing the breadth of sports technology’s fast-growing areas.
The companies, which pitched in front of an audience of industry executives, investors, and professional athletes, touched on esports, data technology, sports betting and gaming, artificial intelligence, fan engagement, and the use of biomechanics to enhance player performance.
The five presenting startups were selected from more than 300 applicants. Three of the five walked away with awards.
“Coming to events like this is where you see the grassroots of what’s going on and hopefully catch the next big thing at Sports Tank,” said Amish Shah, co-owner of esports organization Rogue Sports, in a press release from Sports Tank.
Under Armour Innovation Award: Physmodo
Dallas-based Physmodo has built a 3D sensor technology that issues biomechanical feedback in near real-time—just a 30-second delay. Physmodo MAPS captures thousands of data points, then uses computer vision-based motion analysis to provide objective biomechanical feedback. The company was picked for the Under Armour Innovation Award.
Under Armour has been increasingly incorporating technology and sensors into its sneakers. Platforms like Physmodo might allow the apparel giant to offer even more sophisticated training products to amateur and professional athletes.
Athlete’s Choice Award: Armchair Quarterback
San Diego-based Armchair Quarterback has developed a live prediction game for football. The app enables users to predict the next play and move up a leaderboard with the opportunity to win money and prizes. The company was given the Athlete’s Choice Award by current and former professional athletes in attendance.
Fans can predict metrics such as whether the next play will be a run or pass, whether a run will be to the left, right, or center, and whether a pass might be short, medium, or long.
“It just starts today, getting our name out there and a chance to meet all the investors,” said Bouker Pool, Armchair Quarterback’s chief marketing officer. “Having an opportunity to tell them who we are opens up doors for future discussions.”
Audience Choice Award: edisn.ai
India-based edisn.ai has built an artificial intelligence-powered fan engagement platform. The product leverages state-of-the-art player recognition to automatically recognize players on the screen. It can then overlay live stats onto the content for delivery. Edisn.ai was selected for the the Audience Choice Award by the audience of sports executives and venture capitalists.
The company has inked deals with a few key organizations in the sports world already. For example, an Olympic sports federation in Europe is integrating edisn.ai’s technology to drive interactivity for its sports content. Asia’s leading sports broadcaster is using the company to power fan engagement products that will reach millions of users watching live cricket and soccer.
Harena Data
Indianapolis-based Harena Data has built a platform called GYO Score that covers a range of different aspects of esports data technology. Esports players can receive automated coaching advice based on analysis of their data, and get direct introductions to professional esports scouts.
Harena Data also offers services to parents and fans. Parents can find little league structures and college scholarship opportunities for their children, while fans can follow rising performers by diving into their statistics.
Prophet
Representing the Sports Tank Innovation Studio’s youngest founders, 2017 Vanderbilt graduates Jake Benzaquen and Dean Sisun pitched Prophet. The platform is an independent, secondary marketplace designed for users to optimally cash out on sports bets.
Prophet promises “maximized profit” for sellers and premium odds for buyers on its mobile platform. It also offers analytics based on certain events, statistical trends over time surrounding every bet and the ability to track bet history and volatility.