Photo credit: Pixabay

Worth €1.8 billion in Europe, the Sport Tech industry offers huge opportunities for startups improving athlete performance, engaging in consumers"e; well-being, and capturing the emotions of fans around the world.

VivaTech launched a first-ever sport tech challenge this year, in collaboration with Global Sports Week, to highlight the startups upping the score in the sector.

Twelve finalists have been selected for their innovative sport solutions and will be at VivaTech in June to pitch on stage. Let’s meet these game-changers.

Photo credit: collectID

collectID

Almost 2 trillion dollars worth of products are counterfeit every year, that includes sports merchandise, tickets, and more. Swiss startup collectID has built a product authentication ecosystem to reinvent sports merchandise, combining NFC hardware and blockchain technology. Brands can also offer exclusive content to their top fans like smart football jerseys connected to NFTs, or fan scarfs serving as entry tickets.

Photo credit: Smoon

Smoon

Top sportswomen don’t have a choice of when their menstrual cycle will fall. Smoon, a French startup, has taken on the challenge of creating sportswear and undergarments that support women when they need it most while respecting their bodies and the planet. From swimwear to cycling shorts, their menstrual sports line offers an alternative to current disposable hygienic products.

Photo credit: ScorePlay

ScorePlay

Portuguese startup ScorePlay has designed an AI-powered media hub for sports organizations to automate their workflows and connect all stakeholders in the sports ecosystem. It centralizes assets in a single media workspace, classifies them, and distributes them to athletes and sponsors automatically through the mobile app and partner access.

Photo credit: StadiumGO

StadiumGO

Carpooling meets sport events. StadiumGO has built a platform that connects eventgoers with car owners to share the ride to the big game. Improving accessibility, reducing carbon footprint, and enriching the fan experience one carshare at a time.

Photo credit: Yan Krukau

The IFC Application

From PC games played in bedrooms to Olympic Esport Series, the esports industry has become the newest sport to watch. However, a large gap between professional gamers and the amateur world makes it hard for amateur gamer teams to gain visibility.

French startup, The IFC, has created a smartphone application to centralize every esports competition, team, and player in one single platform to make it easier to scout the next generation of esport talents.

Photo credit: Tembela Bohle

Fanprime

More than just a crowd screaming in the bleachers, fans have a huge impact on sports teams and bring in large amounts of revenue for athletic programs.

French startup FanPrime created a platform that allows teams to offer personalized content and experiences to their sports fans. The platform uses AI to connect them to their favorite teams and athletes through social media challenges, rewards and points, or exclusive offers.

Photo credit: Infinite Athletic

Infinite Athletic

After trying to find sustainable sportswear with no success, the co-founders of Infinite Athletic realized that they could make tennis clothes in a circular model, with the help of old tennis racket strings.

The Spanish startup collects old racket strings at tournaments and clubs, recycles them into polyester, and turns them into sportswear. Infinite Athletic’s garments are chemical-free, wick away moisture, and highly resistant to wear and abrasions, all while respecting the planet and the player.

Photo credit: PlayerData

PlayerData

Working towards number goals and seeing data written down can help coaches and athletes decide on better training practices and game strategies. PlayerData has created a wearable technology for individuals or teams to track key metrics, monitor heat maps of play positions, and gather insights on matches to help athletes better analyze and improve their skills.

Photo credit: Tickie

Tickie

Tickie is transforming sport tickets into digital collectibles so fans can keep track of them and display them like the trophies they are.

In personal wallets, fans can keep track of all their tickets which are unique NFTs. Brands can connect with their loyal fans and even offer exclusive experiences like meeting the team in person or early access to new merch.

Photo credit: GrAIg

GrAIg

What do athletes and coaches do once they have large amounts of performance data$2 GrAIg, a French startup, has built an AI technology platform that gathers data about athletes and predicts the impact of training on their performance. With hyper-personalized plans, athletes can just focus on training.

Photo credit: Solecooler

Solecooler

With increasing concerns about heat-related illnesses in sports, French startup Solecooler has created a technology that can help athletes stay safe and comfortable while performing at their best. Solecoler’s Climfeet insoles recover the mechanical energy of footsteps to transform it directly into heat on one side and cold on the other.

Photo credit: MyCoach Pro

MyCoach Pro

Sport data isn’t just for athletes’ use. MyCoach Pro brings sports, medical, and administrative staff together with a platform that links athlete data like exercises, training sessions, calendars, and media in one place. Already a partner of 8 Olympic Federations, the French startup is looking to expand internationally this year.

Want to meet these startups in person and see them pitch on stage$3 Book your pass for VivaTech 2023 here! Come start the conversation with the brightest minds in sport tech.

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