ASTN Member News

BMX New Zealand have announced that they have partnered with CoachMate to design and deliver their Kiwi Sprocket Rockets Program. The Program is designed to help coaches, teachers, parents and caregivers deliver safe and strong bike riding foundations and make teaching and learning fun through easy-to-follow, bite-sized video activities. 

After the success of BAHE's first Yoga and Pilates Apparel collection, the company has exclusively launched in Harrods, the world’s leading luxury department store. Designed in Sydney and London, BAHE will share its luxury range of Yoga and Pilates activewear and coordinating accessories with UK customers in-store.

From little league to the big leagues, GeoSnapShot has now enabled sports and schools to capture over 30 million memories around the world—and counting. GeoSnapShot's mission to empower photographers to showcase their talent and monetize their work has never been stronger, and this achievement is as much a testament to their dedication and passion. 

In the world of snow sports, one company is making waves with its innovative approach to women's gear. Nobody's Princess founder Maria Baker is challenging industry norms and empowering women on the slopes. The company is about creating high-quality long-lasting gear that enhances women's snow experience. 

Now in its fourth year, the QUT Sport Tech Challenge is back on 7 September, blending traditional sports with cutting edge technology and esports. This event taps into global trends in esports and virtual sports, offering students the chance to compete in the latest innovations. It provides the opportunity to bring together esports enthusiasts and sporty students, combining technology with physical activity in a unique competition. Students can compete in Rocket League, Virtual Cycling, Virtual Rowing, Motorsport Hot Lap and     Just Dance. The school with the highest points at the end of the day will be crowned the 2024 Sport Tech Champion School!

The AFL will introduce its new ball-tracking technology to drive a 'score assist' review system for the 2024 NAB AFL Women's season. The smart-ball technology will provide score assist officials with alerts when the footy crossed the goal line, hits the post or is touched in flight. The smart-ball technology has been tested extensively over the past 18 months, including real-world trials in VFL and VFLW matches this season. A chip is embedded in the 'smart' Sherrins, which have been specially manufactured to mimic the original ball's size, weight, shape and balance in flight. Sensors stationed around the ground then track the ball's movement. The 'smart' Sherrin has been developed in partnership with Sportable and Intaneous.

TwinLabs.ai is excited to announce that is has been awarded a £100K grant from the Innovate UK Bridge AI programme to further develop it's digital twin platform for live music festivals and large events. TwinLabs.ai is partnering with ticketing and cashless payment specialist Howler to combine their entry point data, and other IoT, GPS and 3rd-party data to create live, 3D replicas of large festival environments. This will give event operators visibility they’ve never had before.. and ultimately create a safer, and better experience for festival-goers.

New Zealand sportstech startup CoachMate has been shortlisted for the 2024 Leaders in Sport Awards in the Tech Breakthrough category. CoachMate is revolutionising grassroots sports by offering a player-centric platform that seamlessly integrates world-class coaching content with the utility of powerful team management features. Winners will be announced at the Leaders in Sport Awards on 15th October in London during Leaders Week.

Basketball Australia’s coaching pathways continue to grow in tandem with the performance of Australia’s national teams and the quality of coaching talent continues to shine from the community to the big leagues. A new suite of resources has been launched by Basketball Australia in partnership with etrainu. The resources in the Learning Management System (LMS) has been designed for those looking to take the call to coach with their community club or those interested in developing an analytical mind for the game.  

Sport will continue to be the main show, but it won't be the "whole show" in a 10-year future for AFL stadiums that will see venues and clubs target more entertainment options for fans when they head to the footy. Clubs know they need to innovate in the next decade and use stadiums in new ways to continue packing out games and competing with TV audiences and other forms of entertainment. Author and sports business academic Dr Sam Duncan is forecasting a period of innovation that will be focused on technology and in-stadium entertainment options, rather than large scale redevelopments.

From custom-built technology to performance support and training camps, the AIS has played an important role in helping athletes maintain a competitive edge during their events. This includes the incredible Jess Fox whose gold medal performances in both the K1 and C1 events make her the first Australian athlete in Olympics history to win six medals in individual events. In the lead-up to Paris, the AIS Engineering team worked with Paddle Australia to develop custom pieces for Fox’s boats, including a 3D-printed knee cup for her canoe with a novel installation system and lightweight aluminium alloy footpegs for her kayak.

There has been an exciting new chapter in sports broadcast storytelling unfold last weekend at LIV Golf UK. Champion Data’s Smart GGi, in partnership with Kaze Aerial Production, introduced a fresh era of drone graphics. LIV Golf debuted the elevation graphic, powered by Pixotope and Vizrt, showcasing innovation and taking fan immersion and engagement to the next level.

Artificial intelligence sports technology, created by Australian firm VueMotion Labs, could prove the tool that helps the Kiwi sprinter Zoe Hobbs onto the podium. VueMotion’s app captures granular data on Hobbs’ running mechanics – step length, frequency, ground contact time, forces, horizontal movement, speed, split times and more. It generates a visual “kinogram” that her coach can view, instantly seeing areas to improve like foot strike or hip rotation.

Olympic riders, spectators and fans worldwide can view the equestrian cross-country course which runs through the beautiful park of Versailles. Eventing is a triathlon of dressage, cross country and show jumping. CrossCountry app is a GPS smartphone app and mapping system customised precisely to the needs of equestrians. It allows riders to record their competition course so they can memorise it and ride it to time. Course designers use the CrossCountry app Toolkit to design, document and publicise courses. CrossCountry app has been used at every Olympic Games since its launch in 2011.

In another groundbreaking innovation by ECAL, set to revolutionise digital calendar communications, ECAL has unveiled it’s ‘Native Language Translations AI’ service. In collaboration with Microsoft, and as part of its Calendar AI toolbox, ECAL’s ‘Native Language Translations AI’ feature delivers smart, personalised events content in the user’s preferred native language, directly into their calendar. The service covers 248 countries, 49 languages, intelligently translated, with key nouns such as sporting team names, venue names, and brand names preserved. 

STWS have formed a partnership with Matchfy for Australia Sports Innovation Week (ASIW) 2024 to become the official accommodation partner for international and interstate delegates who will be travelling to Melbourne for the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most respected sports innovation and technology experience. 

GEOSNAPSHOT has been chosen as the media platform for the Perfect Game 2024 National Showcase. Perfect Game is a titan in the sports world, with an impressive annual portfolio of over 10,000 events, 150,000 games and 1.4 million players. GEOSNAPSHOT's cutting-edge technology and media solutions will empower Perfect Game to enhance their event coverage, offering high-quality, easily accessible photos and videos to players, families, and fans, highlighting our commitment to supporting elite sporting events with innovative digital media services.

XV is excited to announce a partnership with BrainEye where we will work to accelerate the uptake of BrainEye’s eye-tracking technology (measuring, tracking and managing brain health) in community and professional sport as well as in the education sector. The application of the technology will aid in maintenance and management of athletes health and wellbeing, as well as the administration of safe sport.

MakerX, a leading digital product development firm, and Amerinda Advisory, a boutique strategy consulting firm, have announced a strategic partnership designed to drive the creation of innovative digital businesses and products. The alliance will combine Amerinda's deep advisory expertise with MakerX’s venture building, product design and software engineering expertise. This will empower corporates and startups to innovate and succeed, whether they are aiming for growth or navigating turnaround situations. 

GameDay has solidified its partnership with etrainu, a premier provider of online education and compliance training. This strengthened alliance is set to bring about numerous benefits for both organisations and their clients. Technology users and sport administrators are increasingly turning to online learning to facilitate the implementation of large-scale software solutions. Recognising this trend, GameDay has formed a strategic partnership with etrainu to provide accessible in-house online learning resources. This collaboration ensures that any type of GameDay or Passport user can easily access educational content, significantly reducing the learning curve associated with new software.

For the 2024 season, Queensland Rugby League (QRL) – the governing body for rugby league in Queensland with nearly 500 clubs and over 20 leagues – will partner with Tidy Connect, the leading peak sports body solution by the Australian-based TidyHQ, to optimise its sports administration. 

The Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) has today announced the extension of its support from the Western Australia Government to develop and promote the WA sportstech and innovation industry in Western Australia. The arrangement includes a follow-on grant for a second year under the X-TEND WA Program, following a successful first year, during which ASTN delivered many tailored programs and activities to help grow the State’s sportstech ecosystem.

Australian compression apparel company Cape Bionics will receive non-dilutive funding through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) as part of ANDHealth+, Australia's leading health accelerator. A total of $AUD 3.75M from the Australian Government’s MRFF will be invested into six high-growth potential digital health companies over the next 16 months, via a two-stage investment process, which include Cape Bionics. ANDHealth+ is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care MRFF Early Stage Translation & Commercialisation Support Program.

Fremantle and Melbourne are among the first AFL clubs to have joined forces with analytics company Traits Insights as clubs look to power ahead by gaining an advantage with how they use data and new technologies. Traits is a player profiling platform used towards talent identification by recruiting and list management teams, as well as by coaching staffs to develop players already at clubs.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has thanked the Australian Government for their record $283 million investment in sport over the next two years which lays the foundation for sustainable success in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond. The $283 million investment will support athletes, coaches, and support staff over the first two years of the four-year cycle to the LA 2028 Games and includes the biggest ever Paralympic spend to address systemic and structural barriers to performance for para athletes. Together, total investment in high performance sport will be $489 million over the next two years.

Next Level Racing and The Boeing Company have launched the Next Level Racing Flight Seat Pro Boeing Military Edition. The new Flight Seat Pro Boeing Military Edition is the newest addition to the Official Boeing Licensed range of flight products alongside the Boeing Commercial Edition and Boeing Military Edition Flight Simulator cockpits.

Pimax has announced an official Virtual Reality partnership with Next Level Racing®, with the two leading brands in racing and flight simulation immersion collaborating on live event experiences. VR headsets now allow enthusiasts to experience racing and flying as if they were truly behind the wheel of a GT3 race car, or in the cockpit of a Boeing 747. The partnership will focus on live events activations and exhibitions around the world, whilst creating exciting VR content for simulation enthusiasts. 

Healthcare practitioners across Australia will now be able to increase their knowledge about the assessment, management, and treatment of sports related concussions, thanks to a new, free online course launched by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). The Concussion in Sport for Healthcare Practitioners online course runs for 120 minutes and is available through the Australian Sports Commission Learning Centre. The course is available to all Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registered healthcare practitioners.

VueMotion CEO Ryan Talbot has arrived in Austin, TX! Together with his wife Steph, Ryan has relocated from Sydney to Austin to continue growing VueMotion's customer base in the great USA. Ryan has joined the Capital Factory and is excited to work out of this impressive startup co-working facility. Ryan said "I've been thrilled by the warm welcome I've received from everyone I've met at the Capital Factory. Being located in the USA is an incredible opportunity to introduce more athletes and coaches to VueMotion's human movement analysis platform. I'm very happy to be in closer timezone as many of our valued customers and partners!"

SLOCOACH has partnered with Netball NSW to develop The Resource Centre. The platform is an online hub that provides access to the latest training content, courses, and live sessions allowing a space that coaches, umpires and athletes can continue to learn and grow no matter where they live. Within the platform there are various interactive session hubs that enables participants to be able to listen and learn from Netball NSWs most experienced coaches and umpire coaches. 

The Australia and New Zealand Sports Technology Awards (ANZSTA) have been launched for 2024, ANZSTA celebrates excellence and innovation in technology across the Sports, Media, Entertainment, Health and Technology ecosystem. ANZSTA are supported by the Australian Sports Technologies Network, and winners will be presented in Melbourne on Wednesday 23rd October during Australia Sports Innovation Week.

Vicsport has announced a partnership with revolutioniseSPORT, an online management platform that currently works with over 260 governing bodies and 18,000 clubs. The partnership also includes the naming rights for the revolutioniseSPORT Digital Forum, an annual event run by Vicsport that looks at the latest trends and exciting technological solution throughout the sport and recreation industry.

USA Track & Field has partnered with etrainu to make significant upgrades to USATF Campus, the online learning management system used for coaching education courses. The move will make courses easier to access through integration with USATF Connect powered by Sport:80. The revived USATF Campus will be the hub for online learning  including the newly released USATF Level 1 and Developmental Coach courses.

Global Institute of Sport (GIS) has announced its expansion into the Middle East through a partnership with leading football performance specialists The Player. Aspiring footballers from across the globe can now study a GIS university degree whilst immersing themselves in an elite football environment in Dubai.

The ICC announcement that the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup would be held in the U.S. and the West Indies was made in November 2021, but the physical construction of Nassau County International Cricket Stadium (in East Meadows, New York) didn’t begin until February 2024. Populous, a company known for permanent sports venues domestically and abroad, was tapped by the organization to plot out the design of the temporary structure on Long Island. Hosting eight Group Stage matches in the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup, the new venue was constructed in less than half a year which included architectural design by Populous and technological planning by PMY Group.

Deakin University has announced a three-year partnership extension with the Geelong Football Club, carrying the longstanding relationship between the two organisations through to the end of 2026. As a Co-major partner of the Cats AFLW program, Deakin University and the Cats will collaborate across Deakin's School of Exercise and Nutrition Science and Geelong's High-Performance teams, by sharing training facilities, access to the GMHBA Stadium, and enhancing student engagement opportunities.

Twinlabs.ai combine digital twins and real-time data to transform the sports events management space. The company recently won the Confluent 2024 Data Streaming Startup Challenge. Twinlabs.ai's digital twin technology utilizes Confluent Cloud’s data streaming capabilities to offer customers the ability to create and operate digital twins 100x cheaper than current solutions. They do this via pre-built integrations and templates, alongside a flexible and more affordable microservices architecture. Real-time data allows organizers to predict, optimize and plan in the digital twin’s risk-free environment while also generating a feedback loop where changes made in the virtual can be implemented in the physical.

Squash Queensland is teaming up with QUT (Queensland University of Technology) Protobuild students, under the guidance of Vibhor Pandey and the Innovation Central Brisbane (IBC) team, to develop sport technology solutions, specific to squash. In May ICB gathered 80 participants from Queensland's sport community, government, academia, and big tech for the QUT (Queensland University of Technology) Sport Innovation Workshop to explore what's possible in sports tech. Last week the group gathered again, this time with hand-selected QUT students for the QUT Sport Innovation Hackathon! Five teams will build a prototype of their project over the next 8 weeks.

Leading calendar marketing and communications company ECAL is expanding, acquiring US-based company Rokt Calendar in a deal adding more than 25 tier-one brands to ECAL’s portfolio. As part of the deal, ECAL – which syncs users’ favourite live events, sporting fixtures, shows, ticketing and venue information directly to their calendars – will add an extra eight million users to the platform. The NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, Indycar, EuroLeague, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network, The Skimm and SiriusXM are just some of the household brands moving to ECAL’s suite following the acquisition. The acquisition expands ECAL’s reach, connecting it with 24 million users globally, eight million monthly active users, 15 billion data points per month and calendars translated in more than 35 languages.

Aura has been announced as a finalist in the Technology Platform category of the ACT iAwards to be held on June 12 2024 in Canberra with this year's theme being ‘Shaping Our Future’. The iAwards are Australia’s longest running and most prestigious tech innovation awards.