Australian Sportstech News

The Australian Open startup program, AO Startups, has opened applications for the 8th intake of its Program. AO Startups is seeking exceptionally talented founders building groundbreaking technology across robotics in sport, live event tech, all things padel, community sports tech and anything in sport, entertainment, health or sustainability. Shortlisted founders will be interviewed by key Tennis Australia and AO Ventures executives shortly after the application phase. Applications close 11th May 2026.

Surf Farm, the landmark surf and lifestyle destination located at the gateway to the Sunshine Coast at the Glass House Mountains, has announced Wavegarden as its official surf technology partner. With this partnership, Wavegarden is set to add a highly anticipated new world-class complex to its global network of 12 surf parks worldwide, three of them in Australia.

HITIA, the head impact monitoring technology and Sports Buddy's HURT injury management platform have partnered to create a connected approach to concussion care in community sport. This partnership is designed to link objective head-impact data with structured injury-management workflows, helping clubs improve incident documentation, compliance processes and player recovery tracking.

Rookie Me will be hosting the 2026 Future Green & Gold nationwide talent search for the Australian Institute of Sport in Melbourne and Sydney in July. The testing events provide new and existing athletes between the ages of 13 and 23 the opportunity test their raw talent, with athletes potentially selected across16 Olympic Sports. 

Snowtunnel, the Australian startup behind revolutionary indoor skiing technology, has announced that its first facility will open in Melbourne later this year, marking a significant milestone in urban snow sports. Following the global reveal of its patented "Endless Mountain" technology, Snowtunnel has officially secured the location for its Global Headquarters and Pilot Showcase Site. Situated in Melbourne’s West, just 11 kilometres from the CBD, this facility will serve as the world’s first physical window into the future of urban snow sports.

Fetch TV has announced a major expansion of its sports lineup with the launch of Unbeaten, a linear sports channel that delivers a wealth of live international action and emerging global competitions to Australian sports super-fans. Unbeaten, owned by Australian sports content company Inverleigh, delivers wall-to-wall sporting action with a primary focus on live competition across football, basketball, combat sport while offering a front-row seat to sports often under-represented in mainstream broadcasting or streaming, making it a compelling alternative for sports fans. 

Judo Australia has partnered with specialist software and compliance firm, Safeguarding You, to launch an first for Australian sport – Charlie, an AI-powered Concussion chatbot. Charlie will empower judoka, their training partners, coaches, parents, and onlookers to ensure any suspected concussion is assessed against the CRT-6, the current protocol for determining next steps if someone has had a head knock or is simply feeling shaken or unwell.

Former Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has made his first big move since announcing his retirement from the NRL, investing in a mental performance platform. Papenhuyzen is turning his attention to business backing Optimize Mind Performance (OMP), a Sydney founded, now Boston-based, sports-tech startup that provides athletes with mental skills training resources. 

Perth Football League’s A-Grade Men’s and A-Grade Women’s competitions are set for a major upgrade, with remote camera technology from GameFace and Premier Data’s advanced analytics delivering in-depth player stats and professional-level analysis. The system will not only deliver expert, play-by-play statistical breakdowns, but also enable matches to be live-streamed directly via the Local Footy Hub platform.

Stadium operators, Venues Ōtautahi, the Christchurch City Council-owned events, venues and culinary business, have launched their partnership with world-leading digital navigation providers PAM. The smart maps include full navigation across the city with travel times and directions. PAM provide wayfinding services to some of the biggest sporting events in the world including the PGA Tour, Formula 1, and Australian Open, along with a large number of the world’s biggest stadiums including Hard Rock Stadium and Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium.

Populous’ Brisbane team has today been appointed as the Principal Architect for the Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre with new artist impressions offering a look at the future Olympic and Paralympic Games venue and community hub. Slated as a venue for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games with up to 10,000 spectator capacity, the new Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre will feature 12 multi‑use indoor courts designed to support the growing demand for indoor sports across the Moreton Bay region, including basketball, netball, volleyball, futsal, pickleball and wheelchair rugby.

The Queensland Government has announced that the new 63,000 seat stadium being built for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games at Victoria Park will be situated in a "central position" near Gilchrist Avenue in Brisbane .Earlier this year, the government announced it had selected Australian firms Cox and Hassell to design the stadium, alongside Japanese group Azusa Sekkei. The firms worked on Perth's Optus Stadium and redeveloped the Adelaide Oval and the MCG. The stadium is slated to cost about $AUD 3.6 billion, and forms part of the $AUD 7.1 billion infrastructure plan for the 2032 Games.

Online coaching platform PlayBook Coach has announced a netball partnership with Rebel Sport across south-east Queensland. Customers will receive an $80 vouhcer to redeem a PlayBook Netball Coaching session with the purchase of a pair of ASICS Netburner shoes.  

Pickleball Australia has announced a new partnership with United Sports, a specialist sports education platform, to bring educational online coaching modules to their members. Through this partnership, United Sports will develop six online coaching modules, each tailored specifically to pickleball and aligned with current research and best practice. 

Evolt Health has announced a new partnership with Life Fitness and Hammer Strength that brings advanced body composition intelligence into the connected fitness experience. This collaboration connects Evolt’s body composition technology with Workout Intelligence powered by AugieAI within the Life Fitness Connect app. By combining physiological data with AI-powered workout guidance, the integration allows training recommendations to adapt to each member’s goals, fitness level, and progress over time.

JA Network has welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Queensland Government and the organisers of the Japan Australia Sports & Health Innovation Exchange (JASHIE), marking the official commencement of long-term collaboration in sport, health and technology innovation in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond. The MOU formalises cooperation between the State of Queensland, acting through the Department of Sport, Racing and the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, and the JASHIE organisers: Mizuno Corporation, Organization of Future Medicine (Nakanoshima Qross), and JA Network.

AO Ventures has announced a further investment in Mindspring Padel, strengthening its partnership with one of the most innovative companies helping accelerate the global expansion of padel. The follow-on investment builds on AO Ventures’ initial backing of the company in early 2025 and reflects the exceptional progress Mindspring has generated as demand for padel infrastructure continues to grow rapidly across international markets. 

One of Australia’s leading community sport streaming service Sideline Sport has acquired the Seven West Media streaming platform, Streamer and an extensive catalogue of local and junior sport broadcasts. The acquisition gives Sideline a catalogue of community sport from across Australia, broadcasting up to 10,000 matches each year and strengthening its position as a leading grassroots sports streaming platform. Sideline Sport already manages successful competition platforms like NSW Rugby, Netball NSW TV and Basketball Victoria TV.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, have launched two pioneering guidelines to help everyone involved in sport – from grassroots to high performance – use artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly and effectively. The first is a world-leading Guide for Responsible AI in Sport which outlines how to use AI safely and ethically, drawing on international best practices. The second is a Roadmap for AI in Australian Sport which sets out a clear national strategy on how the sector can work together to harness AI’s potential. 

World leaders in sport will again descend on Victoria this year as the nation’s pre-eminent sport business gathering SportNXT Melbourne returns. The three-day summit will be held 7-9 September in the build up to a blockbuster Australian first, the NFL regular season match at the MCG between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Franciso 49ers. The state’s packed calendar of events generates around $AUD 3.3 billion a year for the state’s economy thanks to events like the Australian Open, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, and AFL Grand Final.

Tradable Bits, a leading provider of fan engagement, data, and marketing solutions, has announced the appointment of Mike Morris as General Manager, Asia-Pacific (APAC). Based in Melbourne, Morris will lead Tradable Bits' APAC operations and growth strategy. He will work closely with league, team, and entertainment partners to help them acquire, unify, and activate first-party and zero-party fan data to drive deeper engagement and measurable commercial outcomes.

The PGA TOUR and PAM, the world-leading smart navigation platform specializing in digital interactive mapping and signage, announced a new strategic investment and multi-year marketing partnership designating PAM as the Official Smart Map and the Official Smart Map Technology of the PGA TOUR. PAM will use multiple digital touch points, including maps, phones, websites and digital signage to elevate the onsite fan experience and increase efficiency with operational aspects including routing, ridesharing and security. It will also allow for a more effective on-site workforce management system with tournament vendors and volunteers.

The peak governing body of university sport in Australia, UniSport, has announced a new partnership with Assemble Sports, to introduce a smarter, more connected sports management platform designed to make event registrations faster and easier for students and member universities. The mobile-friendly system streamlines registrations across multiple sports and formats, improves access to real-time event information such as fixtures, schedules and results, and reduces administrative complexity.

Zena Sport has announced an exclusive partnership with Rebel Sport, Australia’s leading sports retailer, with Zena Sport's female protection impact product now available nationwide. Zena Sport was founded to address an issue that for too long female athletes were told to ignore: direct chest and breast impacts. Rebel Sport’s decision to back Zena Sport nationwide as their exclusive female chest, breast, and rib protection brand signals meaningful progress.

Sports intelligence leader Twenty First Group (TFG), a company revolutionising sports through AI-powered analytics and data expertise will open their Asia-Pacific headquarters in Melbourne, driving growth in one of the world’s most exciting sports ecosystems. Known for elevating performances at the The Ryder Cup, Major League Soccer (MLS), and clubs like Arsenal Football Club and AC Milan, TFG sees Victoria’s unique blend of sports passion and top technology talent as the perfect foundation for success.

As the Official Games Systems and Results Supplier, Kronos has delivered a digital ecosystem to the Local Organising Committee of the Open Masters Games (Abu Dhabi), enhancing the overall digitalisation of the Games experience. From registration and accreditation to timing, scoring, and secure results dissemination, the Kronos systems have supported athletes, officials, and other stakeholders through the Games.

Polytan has delivered Torquay’s new state-of-the-art hockey pitch at Banyul-Warri Fields, marking a major milestone for hockey on Victoria’s Surf Coast. The facility features Polytan’s elite Poligras Platinum World Cup synthetic hockey surface, made from 20% bio-based materials. This is the first dry, non-sand dressed hockey pitch in Victoria, and the first in Australia certified to the new FIH Innovation Category, delivering elite wet-field performance without the need for water.

Leading volunteer management platform, Rosterfy, recently delivered in its 10th year of a partnership with the Super Bowl. In this time Rosterfy’s has delivered end-to-end volunteer management technology has helped host cities and organising committees recruit, screen, train and schedule thousands of volunteers, creating seamless experiences for both organisers and volunteers alike. 

Video production company, Sideline Sport, has partnered with Basketball Victoria to officially launch their Remote Production Model at the Junior Country Championships over the weekend. Production was fully remote-controlled, over 100 games across four courts captured simultaneously, with live action captured and managed by operators located in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.

Melbourne Girls Grammar School (MGGS) has embedded Lumin Strength in its sports development program, providing 500 student-athletes and five coaches with a central platform for strength and conditioning (S&C) development. MGGS will use the Australian-made S&C platform to program, monitor and communicate training across year levels and teams as part of its broader athletic development strategy. MGGS is the latest Australian school to embed Lumin in its programs and follows St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Geelong College and Xavier College to adopt the platform.

NYC-based ScorePlay has improved digital asset management for 300 teams, leagues and sports organizations worldwide. ScorePlay uses AI for tagging and sorting of media assets, a combination that provides value for league staff looking for specific pieces of content for things like social media and marketing. With Tennis Australia, ScorePlay acted as the central hub for rights access for all organizations working around the event or remotely. By creating this production layer on top of the camera feeds, ScorePlay gave broadcast room capabilities to anyone connected to the Australian Open through the platform.

Catapult, a global leader in sports technology for professional teams, following its acquisition of Perch in June 2025, announced the next generation of its athlete performance ecosystem with Perch P2. Perch is a comprehensive performance solution for programming and assessing athlete readiness and training using velocity-based training (VBT). Catapult built Perch P2 to extend performance monitoring beyond the rack, delivering portable and precise athlete data in the gym and on the field. 

This is the story of how Australia overcame geographical isolation to build the world's most innovative tech empire in tennis. 

Table Tennis Australia (TTA) has launched Table Tennis TV, a dedicated over-the-top (OTT) digital platform designed to transform how the Australian table tennis community experiences, follows, and engages with the sport. Rolling out ahead of last weekend’s TTA Invitational, Table Tennis TV provides a single destination for live matches, on-demand replays, highlights, and competition content across both national and state level events. The platform was developed by SportVot, an India-based sports technology company and TTA’s broadcast production partner. 

AO Ventures, the venture capital arm of Tennis Australia, has backed four pioneering early-stage businesses in its first nine months since launch. AO Ventures have made investments into Bolt6, a global leader in AI-powered officiating, broadcast, and data services; Raven Controls, an incident management platform for large scale events; Mindspring Padel, tech-enabled Padel court infrastructure, and; Padel Haus, a premium padel club operator in the US.

HITIQ, a leader in concussion management, has announced an exclusive three‑year partnership with Hockey Australia, commencing in 2026. The agreement designates HITIQ as the organisation’s Official Player Safety Partner and integrates PROTEQT™ across Australia’s entire hockey pathway, from grassroots participation through to elite high‑performance programs. Hockey Australia strongly endorses mouthguards as essential safety equipment. This partnership elevates that standard by embedding a technology‑enabled safety framework supported by education, monitoring tools, and player‑welfare resources.

LiveHeats, a leading scoring and competition management software platform for action sports, has launched AthleteiQ. AthleteiQ utilises a decade of Liveheats event data to provide surfers with pro-level statistics previously reserved for the top surfers on the World Surf League Championship Tour. This includes predictive match-up analysis, longitudinal performance tracking and outcome analytics.

Melbourne-based allied health tech companyStrength By Numbers (SBN) has acquired Mate Sports Tech, the creators of Timing Mate and Barbell Mate. Mate Sports Tech has built highly trusted tools for speed, agility, and power measurement. Their products have earned a strong reputation worldwide, and complement the Strength By Numbers ecosystem.

A Games Vision, titled Believe, Belong, Become, Brisbane 2032, will be launched for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games this week. It’s a commitment to deliver a Games that unites, excites, and inspires, creating lasting impact and legacies for generations to come. 

Victorian sportstech startup and ASTN member company, Boob Protect has been recognised as the performance category winner and crowned overall winner at the ISPO BrandNew startup awards in Munich, Germany. With an ultra-light, CE-certified breast protector that combines safety and comfort, Boob Protect demonstrates how true innovation can make empowerment tangible. Boob Protect emerged as the performance category winner prevailing over running footwear, respiration analysis device and stroboscopic glasses.