ASTN Member News

ASTN has once again represented Australia’s sports technology ecosystem in Taiwan through a long-standing partnership with the IAPS NYCU Accelerator. With a record-breaking 87 applications from 27 countries, competition was stronger than ever. Three ASTN member companies have been selected for the final accelerator cohort, highlighting the quality and global competitiveness of Australian sportstech innovation. This includes Minimis, SportsBox and Aircast. ASTN COO Amy Crosland joined international industry leaders in Taipei for the ASPN Sports Tech Accelerator Batch 3 Kickoff Bootcamp.

PMY Group will be supporting the New York Mets as they map fan movement and behavior across Citi Field and its surrounding precinct. With a multi-billion-dollar transformation taking shape around the Ballpark, understanding how fans navigate the venue and broader area has never been more critical. PMY's real-time intelligence platform, Optic, will guide the Mets with visibility into fan flow, mode share, communication effectiveness, and arrival and departure patterns across every event at the Ballpark.

According to Drake Star's Q1 2026 Report a total of $US 130 billion sportstech-related deals were complete across 239 transactions in the first 3 months of 2026. This included $US115 billion in mergers and acquisitions, $US 2.9 billion in private financing and $US 4 billion-plus in new sports-focused fund formation. The themes shaping the next wave of activity include prediction markets, wearables & performance tech, youth sports infrastructure, and next-gen fan engagement formats.  

ASTN members TidyHQ, Clubland, Coachbetter, SportsCloud Australia and Spawtz will be part of the ' Transforming Sport Through Technology' stream at the 2026 National Sports Convention (NSC). Focused on “The Next Generation”, the stream will explore how technology, AI and digital innovation are rapidly reshaping sport, from participation and fan engagement through to performance, facility planning, governance and commercial growth.

Independent integrated marketing and communications agency Bastion has partnered with digital risk and online reputation management platform Social Protect to launch a new solution designed to make creator-led marketing safer, more sustainable and more effective for brands and talent alike. The new partnership responds to growing industry concerns around brand safety, toxic comment environments, reputational risk and creator burnout as investment in influencer and creator marketing continues to surge.

ASTN member CoachMate presented in front of the National Football Associations of Europe at the UEFA Champions Innovate showcase in Hungary, in the lead-up to the Champions League final recently. Throughout the 2025/26 season, UEFA, the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ), UEFA grassroots partner EA SPORTS FC and four start-up companies (including CoachMate) have worked together to enhance grassroots football environments across Hungary, with the shared goal of scaling successful initiatives across Europe.

The German Football Association (DFB) is acquiring a stake in Coachbetter and becoming a strategic shareholder. With this investment, the world's largest sports federation – with more than eight million members and over 24,000 clubs – is partnering with Coachbetter to expand the digital infrastructure for amateur football. Coachbetter is the leading platform for club and team management in football.

The Global Institute of Sport recently hosted a masterclass on Fan Engagement and Marketing, bringing together two industry leaders to tackle the field’s most pressing issues. The Global Institute of Sport (GIS), which offers a Master’s in Sports Business and Sports Analytics through the University of Newcastle, regularly holds masterclasses with industry leaders as part of its curriculum. The latest focused on fan engagement and marketing, covering two key themes: the growing tension between live sport and online streaming, and the role of data in shaping the fan experience.

Coachbetter, a Switzerland-based sports technology company, has secured $US 8.2 million in pre-Series A funding. Coachbetter is a SaaS platform focused on modernizing the operational infrastructure of amateur and youth soccer clubs. The company will use the funding to expand its engineering and product teams, enhance platform functionality, strengthen collaborations with professional soccer organizations, and scale into new international markets and club structures. 

The Darwin and Districts Cricket Competition has partnered with MyClubtap to launch a free fantasy cricket competition for the upcoming season, with separate leagues for the A-Grade Men's and Div-1 Women's competitions. The DDCC Fantasy competition is supported by RNS Australia, a premium cricket gear brand looking to expand its footprint in the Northern Territory.

Basketball New Zealand has re-signed with CoachMate, the sports education platform that transforms volunteer-led coaching and team management into insightful, easy, and fun experiences. The renewed partnership marks an exciting next step for both organisations as they continue working together to support coaches, volunteers, clubs, associations, schools, and communities across Aotearoa with practical digital tools and quality coaching resources.

The Australian Football League (AFL) and clubs have renewed and expanded their partnership with Tradable Bits, selecting the company's fan data platform to power digital fan engagement across both the AFL and AFLW. Following a competitive RFP process, Tradable Bits was selected to continue as the league's fan engagement partner, reinforcing a long-standing relationship that began in 2019.

Australian sports broadcasting solutions company, Layercake, has recently won the Pitch Perfect Innovation Contest at SPORTEL Singapore. The win validated two key things for Layercake - first, that the industry recognises the fragmentation problem across sports distribution, and second, that there’s real appetite for infrastructure that simplifies it. With a focus on Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), Layercake is witnessing a clear shift from rigid, long-term distribution models to more flexible, event-driven and audience-first strategies.

EngageRM has announced a new partnership with the Everett Silvertips, bringing their platform to one of North America’s leading junior hockey organisations. By bringing memberships, partnerships and fan engagement into one system, EngageRM are helping the Silvertips simplify day-to-day operations, unlock new commercial opportunities and strengthen the connection with their fanbase.

Queensland-based female protective wear company, Fempro Armour, has featured as part of News Corp's 'Back Australia' series. The campaign focuses on backing Australian companies that design and manufacturer in Australia. The campaign showcases Fempro Armour's work in creating female-specific cricket body armour. Fempro's upcoming Vanguard Cricket System has been developed specifically for female cricketers, combining impact protection with integrated apparel to improve comfort, stability, and confidence in play.

Aircast has been named the Grand Prize Winner of the 2026 Golfweek Tech Lab, recognised at the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club for innovation that is redefining how live sport is delivered to fans. The Golfweek Tech Lab brought together a curated field of the most forward-looking startups in the business of golf, evaluated by a panel of industry judges and event attendees across categories spanning broadcast, fan engagement, performance, and operations. The platform delivers live video at 0.3 second latency over shared and wireless networks. Fans can switch camera angles, pull up alternate feeds, and follow the action across a sprawling course in real time, without the lag that has defined "second-screen".

ASTN Members InSquare, Minimis, SportsBox and Aircast have been selected for the first stage of the new ASPN Sports Tech Accelerator in Taiwan. Supported by the Ministry of Sports, this year's applications reached a record-breaking high, with 86 sport-tech startups from 27 countries joining us from Taiwan and around the world. 

TwinLabs.ai helped Total Fitness use AI-powered digital twin technology to analyse how members actually used gym spaces and equipment. The insights revealed stronger-than-expected demand for strength and functional training areas, leading Total Fitness to redesign layouts, optimise equipment allocation, and improve member experience. The success of the pilot has prompted a broader rollout across its gym network.

Greater Sum Ventures (GSV) has announced a majority investment in Tapin2, a leading provider of self-service, suite catering, and mobile ordering technology for sports and entertainment venues. The transaction marks GSV’s second major investment in the live venue technology space, following its majority investment in MyVenue, the cloud-native point-of-sale platform, one year ago.

Foxtel Media has announced a landmark expansion into the metaverse, launching the Kayo SPORTS Stadium on Roblox. The initiative marks a first-of-its-kind joint venture between Foxtel Media and gaming marketing leader Livewire, with development handled by Gamefam. In a commercial move, the AFL, Cricket Australia, and Supercars have all signed on as inaugural partners. Kayo SPORTS Stadium allows fans to interact with their favourite sports through dedicated zones, each featuring two bespoke mini-games.

Broadcast coverage of the NBA is regarded as being among the most innovative in the live sports industry. The league’s national domestic broadcast partners – NBC, ESPN/ABC, and Amazon Prime Video – have all introduced a range of new on-air graphics, different camera angles, and unprecedented positions for commentators and analysts during the 2025-26 season. Through a multi-year partnership NBC Sports Regional Networks is utilising Sportradar’s GameFrame technology to enhance live coverage of the NBA. GameFrame uses AI to turn player-tracking data into on-air graphics and statistics, alongside animated replays, shot maps, and other customised digital features.

TidyHQ, a leading compliance and governance platform for sports organisations, has announced a partnership with the Ovens & Murray Football Netball League (OMFNL). The majority of OMFNL clubs already run their day-to-day operations on TidyHQ. However, OMFNL has now implemented TidyConnect, a solution that links the league and its clubs together on the same platform - the same source of truth.

Fencing Singapore has signed a five-year agreement with revolutioniseSPORT to support the next phase of growth and digital transformation for fencing in Singapore. As the national body for a growing community of more than 5,000 fencers, Fencing Singapore continues to invest in systems and structures that can scale with participation while maintaining strong governance and operational efficiency.

Griffith University and Swimming Australia have entered a bold new partnership to ensure the Gold Coast’s Para athletes have access to the world’s best training environment in the lead up to Brisbane 2032 and beyond. The tailored three-year program supports and elevates para athletes and aims to reduce barriers for participation and talent identification and enhance performance pathways for para athletes.

PMY Group deployed its AI-powered crowd intelligence platform, Optic, at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. The platform uses CCTV, ticketing, accreditation, point-of-sale, event management systems, and LiDAR sensors to anonymously measure crowd movement and behavior, delivering real-time data to event operators through dashboards. 

Taiwan's ASPN Sports Tech Accelerator has received a record number of entries in version 3 of the program. The program received over 80 applications from 27 countries, setting a new benchmark. The final selection of startups advancing to the Kickoff Bootcamp on June 3 is expected to be announced in mid-May.

Education provider, the Australian Fitness Academy has partnered with Australian health and wellness platform 3D Measure Me to transform how personal trainers can track their clients' progress. The partnership introduces a new standard in progress tracking education, combining body measurement and composition insights with clear, visual outcomes that clients can easily understand. The 3D Measure Me app will be integrated into AFA's nationally accredited Certificate III and IV in Fitness program, as well as its internationally delivered Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) course in Singapore and Malaysia.

Venues Ōtautahi, New Zealand’s largest venue, event, and culinary services management company, has deployed MyVenue’s point-of-sale (POS) solution at four venues. One New Zealand Stadium, which officially opens this weekend by hosting the Super Round of Super Rugby Pacific, will use 200 MyVenue-powered POS devices to serve fans across concessions, premium clubs, and suite locations. A further 100 devices will operate across Wolfbrook Arena, Hagley Oval, and Christchurch Town Hall.

Melbourne-based basketball stats and highlights startup, Superstat, has announced that it has launched in the US. Superstat uses AI and computer vision to analyse basketball game footage, providing automated stats, highlights and insights.

Coachbetter has announced a partnership with Adelaide United Football Club and supporting their Junior Development Program. Coachbetter is the unified operating system for grassroots football clubs that connects club operations and coaching in one system. The Coachbetter solution supports the Academy's coaching staff with tools and insights that help them strengthen their programs and deliver an even greater experience for their players.

‍In the world of professional soccer, a hamstring injury can derail a season, and a reinjury can be devastating. For Jamie Blair, Performance Coach for Charlotte FC Crown Legacy second team, finding a way to not just heal the injury but fundamentally correct the underlying movement flaws was essential. By integrating VueMotion into his technology suite, Jamie successfully guided a Charlotte FC player through a hamstring rehab, correcting movement patterns to ensure a rapid, robust, and lasting return to the pitch.

A new executive education program designed to shape the next generation of sports industry leaders is set to launch in June 2026, offering participants a rare blend of academic insight and real-world application at the highest level of global sport. The Executive Edge in Sport, delivered by the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) in partnership with the Rotman School of Management Executive Programs, will provide current and aspiring leaders with the tools needed to navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving sports landscape.

Layercake has announced a strategic integration between its Streamcake platform and Ceeblue’s Media Fabric, a leader in real-time video streaming technology, to deliver end-to-end streaming solution combining advanced workflow automation with ultra-low latency delivery. The integration enables customers to deploy, manage and scale live video workflows with sub-second end-to-end latency. 

Layercake, the company behind the intelligent media orchestration platform Streamcake, today announced the formalisation of its integration with Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming infrastructure, as a core capability within its platform. By combining Bitmovin’s encoding, playback and analytics capabilities with Streamcake’s orchestration and automation engine, Layercake enables organisations to design, deploy and operate complete media workflows across the entire content lifecycle, from ingest through to delivery and playback.

Marvel Stadium and General Manager, Scott Fitzgerald, has been shortlisted for two awards in TheStadiumBusiness Awards 2026. This includes Venue of the Year (Marvel Stadium) and Executive of the Year (Scott Fitzgerald). The Venue Of The Year Award recognises the venue that deserves recognition for their outstanding performance over the past 12 months. The Executive Of The Year Award is awarded to the sports venue leader, pioneer or visionary that has consistently over-delivered.

PitchCast has announced its integration with PlayCricket, enabling enhanced digital coverage and engagement for grassroots cricket. The collaboration allows clubs and competitions to seamlessly capture, stream and share matches, providing richer data and content experiences for players, fans and administrators.

Tiparra, the Australian digital engagement platform helping clubs, events, venues and destinations build their own branded mobile experiences, announced the release of several major new features designed to deepen audience engagement and unlock stronger commercial outcomes for sporting organisations. This includes fan offers, fan-generated content, prediction activities and flexible news feeds.

ASTN will be holding a networking event in Perth on the evening of Wednesday 29th April focusing on The Future of Fan Engagement and Stadium Experience. The expert panel includes Cassandra Calleja (The Sports Networker),  Matthew O'Sullivan (Fremantle Dockers), Chris Andrich (VenuesWest) and Dr Martin Schlegel (ASTN - Australian Sports Technologies Network). The panel will explore how technology is reshaping the way fans connect with sport— inside and beyond the stadium.

Leading sports streaming technology company Layercake has won the SPORTEL Pitch Perfect Innovation Contest in Singapore, as part of the SPORTEL Conference. Layercake's solution, Streamcake, reduces infrastructure costs to ultra-low latency live event delivery for sports.

WearOptimo’s hydration sensor, in the first human trial, has achieved initial proof of concept has already outperforming the clinical gold standard of blood draws. The results caught global attention and led to deeper collaboration with Rolex through its Perpetual Planet Initiative, which supports explorers, scientists and organizations creating practical solutions to global challenges. Rather than chasing the consumer market straight away, founder Mark Kendall focused on where the technology could save lives and drive change - mining, defence and elite sport.