The Global Sports Symposium (GSS) Pitch Competition gives sport start-ups crucial exposure to top agencies, teams, leagues, and entrepreneurs in the sports industry plus the chance to win up to one month’s worth of advisory services from 1010 Capital, a global merchant bank that focuses on incubating, advising and investing in consumer brands and ventures across the sports, entertainment and lifestyle industries.
Four finalists were selected from a competitive pool of global applicants. The finalists, PlayEnable, Togeva, Match Pint, and Fiarfly represent exciting innovations in the world of sport. Each presents exciting new ways for fans and athletes to connect to their favorite teams, brands, and activities.
- PlayEnable.com allows fitness facilities to use PlayEnable’s simple shopify-style system to manage their clients, payments, and schedules in one place. At the click of a button, they can promote their classes on their own website as well as on PlayEnable’s marketplace. People at the other end can find and book these classes instantly.
- Togeva’s Patent Pending Live Events platform provides a simple but effective way for venues and sponsors to connect with fans, harnessing the power of mobile. Live Events connects large numbers of fans to venue screens – their device becomes the controller allowing for an endless number of interactive games, polls and digital content to win sponsored prizes.
- MatchPint connects sports fans, pubs and select brands. It is the leading sports marketing platform in the UK leisure industry, and gives consumers up-to-date information regarding sports events being broadcast in pubs.
- Fiarfly’s SpecData app provides in stadium fans a richer digital experience. Using smartphones we overlay unique graphical augmented reality information that fans in the stadium have never received before such as record lines for athletics events, the distance a free kick is from goal in football, or how far from the posts a penalty kick is in rugby.
On 15 May, these promising start-ups will make their pitch to some of the top VCs, entrepreneurs and innovators in the industry in front of the GSS audience, including some of the business of sport’s largest stakeholders. Each will be judged based on their presentation, the opportunity they have identified, the solution they have developed and the big question: do the judges want another meeting?
The Global Sports Symposium (GSS) is a student-run, nonprofit conference presented by the team behind the Ivy Sports Symposium (ISS). The first annual GSS will take place on Thursday, May 15 at Emirates Stadium in London. The event promises to offer a 360-degree view of the sports business world, while giving established executives the unique opportunity to interchange with the next generation of industry leaders in an intimate setting. For eight years, ISS has rotated among Ivy League campuses in the United States and has featured more than 300 unique speakers from around the world. For tickets and more information, please visit sportssymposium.org.