Sportstech & Member News

With 22.4 billion pairs of shoes manufacturing annually around the world ASICS has been pursuing two approaches to circular manufacturing to reduce or eliminate waste. Launched in 2024, the ASICS NEOCURVE™ sneaker is made from defective and unsold stock. The entire process of grinding, materialization and manufacturing takes place within the EU, and the sneaker is sold only in Europe. Also launched in 2024, our NIMBUS MIRAI™ running shoe has a single-material polyester upper that can be detached from the sole, chemically recycled, and remade ready to run again. 

Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and BMO Stadium have teamed up with PAM’s Smart Navigation Platform to redefine the fan experience, offering real-time traffic and parking updates while streamlining the journey for every attendee. Using PAM’s cutting-edge 3D interactive mapping technology, fans will enjoy state-of-the-art digital wayfinding that guides them from parking, to food and beverage options, and ultimately to their seats. Fans can access the new LAFC eXplorer maps through the Venuetize Mobile App, the LAFC website, QR codes, and other communications channels, ensuring accessibility across multiple touchpoints.

Irish sports technology company Output Sports has raised $US 4.8 million in funding to boost its US expansion and increase staff numbers. The funding includes new supporters such as Apex Capital. Output Sports technology captures and analyses athletic data through a single wearable sensor system and its used in velocity-based training, reactive strength, and power development . It works with more than 800 sports organisations to provide data-backed insights to improve athletic performance, including more than half of all English Premier League clubs.

AXS has launched its new biometric authentication feature for its mobile app in what it claims to be a ticketing industry first. The feature aims to provide users with a secure way to access accounts and tickets while also reducing fraud. With on-device biometric authentication, users can log in to their accounts and access their tickets using their fingerprint or facial recognition.

Basketball Queensland (BQ) has partnered with etrainu, a leading provider of online training solutions, to enhance official development and accreditation processes across the state. The move to etrainu has been made to align with Basketball Australia and provide our referees and referee coaches with an easy-to-use, automated accreditation system. The etrainu platform provides Queensland officials with an engaging set of courses from beginner through to intermediate grades.

Following the success of several law trials and innovations introduced to the 2024 Autumn Nations Series, this year’s Men’s, Women’s and U20s Six Nations Championships will continue to promote the changes in game approach. This will include ‘Touchfinder’, an evolution of the Smart Ball technology. ‘Touchfinder’ is intended to support the team of match officials, specifically assistant referees, in identifying exactly where the ball crosses the touchline, purely from kicks into touch. For the first time instrumented mouthguards will be applied to the U20s Six Nations. Sensors in the mouthguards monitor the frequency and magnitude of head acceleration during training and match play, and form part of the HIA process.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and VALD have announced a collaboration to advance musculoskeletal health technology solutions for physical therapy providers and their patients. Through this collaboration, APTA and VALD aim to expand access to advanced tools that improve assessment, treatment and outcomes across physical therapy. As part of this data and technology collaboration, VALD will leverage its innovative technology to elevate clinical outcomes and reinforce the value of physical therapy care.

Gymshark, the fitness community and apparel brand, has announced the launch of its inaugural innovation programme, the Gymshark Innovation Lab, in partnership with corporate innovation specialist L Marks. As part of the partnership, Gymshark is inviting startups and innovators to bring their concepts to the Gymshark Innovation Lab, to help them bring these visions to life and become potential partners. Innovators and startups get the opportunity to pilot their concepts and visions in a new ten-week immersive programme. The Gymshark Innovation Lab will seek to unearth transformative solutions that enhance product performance and sustainability, optimize supply chain management and unlock pioneering innovations in robotics.

Neko Health has raised $US 260 million to expand a preventative healthcare service designed to detect cancers, cardiovascular disease and other conditions. The company, was co-founded by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek and uses more than 16 medical devices to noninvasively check moles, the heart and more. Neko currently provides scans for around $US 372 from two sites in London and Stockholm. The company plans to use the financing to expand in the U.S. and Europe and invest in diagnostics. To date it has performed 10,000 scans, and has 100,000 people on a waiting list.

The Liberty Hockey One League will remain live and free on 7plus Sport, with Hockey Australia and the Seven Network today announcing a long-term partnership extension. The three-year commitment will see Seven remain the home of hockey until the end of 2027. It follows a record-breaking 2024, during which thousands of Australians witnessed HC Melbourne and the Perth Thundersticks make history by winning the men’s and women’s crowns for the first time.

Bloomberg has reported that Meta plans to launch a version of its smart glasses aimed at athletes, with data tracking features designed to improve performance feedback. These sunglasses for athletes will reportedly be inspired by Oakley’s ‘Sphaera’ design and include a single camera placed centrally on the frame to reduce weight. This aligns with Meta’s partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of both Oakley and Ray-Ban, with whom they collaborated on their first smart glasses. While these new releases will initially focus on data tracking and performance metrics, Meta’s long-term vision includes fully functional AR glasses.

Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have conducted the first comprehensive study on gender-specific differences in running, considering various shoe and speed conditions. Their findings, which contribute to the development of optimized running shoes, have now been published. The study demonstrated that there are numerous differences in running biomechanics between female and male recreational runners. Together with research partners Fraunhofer IPA and PUMA, the University will continue to focus on the collection, analysis, and application of motion data in running and football, paying particular attention to sex-specific aspects.

Billionaire Sir Leonard Blavatnik has injected a further $US 827 million into streaming giant DAZN in a bid to become a major rival to Netflix. The businessman has now invested more than $US 6.7 billion in the London-based sports streaming service. DAZN’s revenue increased $US 2.86 billion in 2023, and its expected to pass $US 6 billion in 2025. The increase would be partly driven by extra income from its $US 2.2 billion acquisition of Australian pay-TV giant, Foxtel, as well as the $US 1 billion deal for rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Springbok Analytics, a leader in AI-driven muscle analytics, announced the close of a $AUD 5 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Transition Equity Partners, with participation from the National Basketball Association, Cartan Capital, Boston Global (AUS) and other strategic investors. This funding supports Springbok's mission to advance muscle health analysis across human performance, life sciences, and longevity. Springbok Analytics has developed a first-of-its-kind, FDA-cleared AI technology that delivers automated, precise and comprehensive muscle health assessments from MRI scans.

The India Sports Launchpad Program offers Queensland companies with an opportunity to expand networks, showcase capabilities, and drive exports in India’s sports market. Supported by KPMG India, this program combines virtual and in-market components to deliver essential market insights and connect participants with key Indian stakeholders, including professional sports clubs, organizations, and investors. The TIQ India Sports Launchpad Program will take place from March 2 to 8, 2025, incorporating the Australia-Gujarat Sports Forum and the Indian International Sports Summit.

Autograph and Future have announced their merger, combining coaching, AI-powered training, and athlete partnerships to expand access to training globally. Autograph, co-founded by seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, leverages technology for fan and professional athlete engagement. Future offers fully virtual personal training with real coaches, powered by wearable technology and AI. The merger integrates Autograph’s extensive athlete network and partnership ecosystem with Future’s personalized coaching platform. The entity will blend human expertise with AI-driven insights to improve virtual personal training.

Optus, Australia's No. 2 telecom carrier, is in talks to sell its sports streaming platform Optus Sport to media house Nine Entertainment, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reported on Monday. A deal would let Nine's local streaming service Stan stream matches from the Premier League. Optus Sport has exclusive streaming rights to the Premier League, which AFR estimated to be worth A$100 million ($62.2 million) per year, and the FA Cup, another English football tournament, until 2028. Stan already broadcasts the UEFA Champions League football and the Wimbledon tennis tournaments.

Big Bash League team Melbourne Stars have partnered with marketing tech company Komo Technologies to launch an exciting predictor game in under 4 hours! The game gives fans the chance to test their cricket knowledge and get involved in the action. The solution provides valuable fan insights for the Stars' membership team to build on next season.

Tennis Australia has announced the startups that have been selected for their next edition of AO Startups. The new cohort - Volta, Oho, INTIX, Foodini, Scala Sports, Lumi and exar.live - bring the 2025 AO StartUps portfolio to twelve companies, making it the largest intake since the program’s inception. Companies participating in AO StartUps are provided the opportunity to prove their business models in real time and directly access proprietary intel and exposure at one of the world’s largest sport and entertainment events. 

Deakin University and VicHealth are joining forces to launch a world-leading research centre to explore interactions between our economy, commercial entities and health outcomes. Deakin and VicHealth will each invest $AUD 4 million over the next 5 years in the "VicHealth Commercial and Economic Determinants of Health Research Translation Centre". The centre's research will be used to create better health policies, healthier communities and a higher quality of life for Victorians.

APEX has announced that applications for Season 3 of the APEX Impact Program (AIP) are now open. The AIP focuses on supporting passionate founders who are building innovative early-stage technologies that could make a real difference in Sports, Media, & Entertainment. In Season 1 and 2, APEX worked with companies like Hexis, Traits Insights, VRTL, and LuckySeatz. The program provides introductions to APEX's sports community, strategic and commercial support and invest €250,000 to drive growth.

ROUVY, the indoor cycling app that brings the world's most iconic rides to life using real video routes filmed on location, empowering users to ride, train, and explore anywhere from home, has announced that it has completed acquisition of fellow platform FulGaz from The IRONMAN Group. Athletes can now access the top 20 most popular FulGaz routes on ROUVY in addition to numerous courses from IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races around the world.

With support from Sport and Recreation Victoria, Lander & Rogers, Commission for Children and Young People Victoria and powered by etrainu, Vicsport have created a free and interactive program designed to guide sport administrators, volunteers, coaches and/or officials through 11 Victorian Child Safe Standards.

Kiwi Fitness, a new AI-powered strength training app, is transforming how gym-goers approach fitness. The app provides personalized workout plans, real-time progress tracking, and adaptable training sessions, offering an alternative to traditional coaching—at a fraction of the cost. Kiwi Fitness uses machine learning algorithms to create tailored workout experiences for users. The app takes into account factors such as fitness goals, available equipment, and individual progress, delivering adjustments on the go to ensure optimized performance and results.

International gaming marketing company, Livewire, is officially partnering with American video game publisher and developer, Zynga, to help brands reach gamers. Covering markets in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the partnership melds Zynga’s reach (a web made up of players based in more than 170 countries and more than 6 billion downloads) with Livewire’s next-generation attention platform. The move is expected to assist brands in engaging with audiences in the gaming space, via “rewarded video, playable ads, and custom integrations.

EngageRM, a global leader in sports and entertainment technology, has announced a long-term strategic partnership with Toronto Tempo, Canada’s first WNBA team. The strategic partnership marks a significant step forward for both organizations and is EngageRM’s official entry into the Canadian market. The Tempo, who will enter the league in 2026, will leverage EngageRM’s full suite of technology solutions across ticketing, premium seating, partnerships, marketing, and data analytics to engage fans and partners, build their brand, and deliver a best-in-class experience for their community and stakeholders.

Personal training company Exos has partnered with Plae, a top brand in athletic training facilities, to host this year’s NFL Combine Training Program. Exos, a strategic programming health and performance company, has trained over 1,000 NFL draft prospects over the past 20 years. The brand works with various groups, including college and high school athletes, assisting with nutrition, personal training, mental health support, and more. Plae specializes in designing premium training facilities for athletes. In July 2024, the company was chosen as the official gym equipment supplier of the Australian Olympic team. 

Garmin Health and WeGuide have announced the winners of the Australian and New Zealand Research Grant 2024. The research grant recognises pioneering medical and wellbeing researchers and innovative digital health startups. Three research projects from Edith Cowan University, Queensland University of Technology and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute were recipients. The winners will receive ten Garmin wearables for seamless data collection and the opportunity to use the WeGuide platform to facilitate participant engagement and data collection.

Tennis Australia has announced the launch of Beyond Tennis powered by Infosys, an innovative free gaming app that blends sport, artificial intelligence, social media, and storytelling. Designed to captivate Gen Z, gaming enthusiasts, and tennis fans alike, Beyond Tennis allows users to step into the role of a player’s coach or agent, shaping the careers of AI-driven tennis players both on and off the court. Using advanced AI engines, users can guide their players’ training and strategy, while chatting with them in a life-like simulation, while watching their season play out in real-time on social media.

BindiMaps is providing the smart wayfinding solution for the Australian Open for the 4th year in a row. The solution particularly helps those that are vision impaired or use a wheel chair in navigating their way through the venues. The solution helps patrons find courts, explore food options or nearby facilities using maps and audio options. 

Rely, an incident management platform, has joined the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) as a Premium Member. Rely helps employers prevent, mitigate, respond to and report on workplace issues, and meet WHS laws. The solution promotes integrity, compliance, and safe cultures. ASTN is Australia’s leading network driving innovation and growth in sports technology, bringing together industry leaders, startups, and organisations passionate about advancing the sports ecosystem.

The Nix Bionsensors hydration monitor is a tool for monitoring hydration in real time and the UCI is now giving the okay for use during competition. According to the brand, this “milestone marks a significant achievement for Nix Biosensors, as UCI teams are now permitted to integrate the Nix hydration monitor and corresponding Nix Pro app into their hydration strategies during UCI races, whereas previously it was only permitted in training. Real-time hydration data empowers early intervention, allowing for adjustments to be made before performance-impairing levels of dehydration set in. 

The Australian Open might look a little different this year if you’re livestreaming it on YouTube. That’s because the tournament has put an animated overlay on some of its matches to avoid broadcast licensing conflicts, making players look like Wii Sports characters. The technology, which the Australian Open first introduced last year, uses 12 cameras to process the silhouette of the human in real time, and stitch that together across 29 points in the skeleton.

News Corp’s $AUD 3.4 billion sale of Foxtel to DAZN could face heightened regulatory scrutiny as the UK-headquartered global sports streamer entertains investment interest from a unit of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. DAZN held talks with a unit of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund according to the New York Times. The talks could see the kingdom invest about $US 1 billion in DAZN and secure a stake of up to 10% of the global sports streaming platform. The stake could be announced within weeks, according to Bloomberg.

FIFA has relaunched its Innovation Programme to seek technology driven solutions for a series of challenges. It is a platform the sees FIFA work with stakeholders to develop exciting innovations that benefit the global game. FIFA periodically publishes challenges detailing specific requirements that address a need within the game, with providers invited to pitch their solutions. The following challenges are currently open for applicants - skeletal tracking, football video support (FVS) system, goal-line technology (GLT), sustainable artificial turf, esports data capture for broadcast and future of fan engagement.

Expressions of interest are now open for companies from Australia's sports ecosystem seeking to export to, form partnerships, and make in-market connections in Japan to participate in the Game Plan Japan: Sports Business Delegation. Co-hosted by the AJBCC and the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN), the visit is planned between Monday 21 April to Friday 25 April 2025, to Tokyo and Osaka. Expressions-of-interest close 31st January.

As part of Advance Queensland's Private Sector Pathways Inclusive Sport Tech Challenge last year, three innovative businesses are making significant strides towards a more inclusive sporting landscape in Queensland. BowerBird Industries takes the concept of fitness to a new level with the Virtual Handbike, seamlessly blending a physical handcycle with virtual training software Zwift. Able Digital Wellness offers a digital platform which allows users to explore various sports from the comfort of their homes. Whilst Cérge provides a communications platform to improve inclusiveness and inclusivity to sports facilities.

Courtside Ventures has announced an investment in Eternal, a new healthcare service tailored to lifelong athletes. Courtside will co-lead the $US 13 million seed round with Lightspeed Venture Partners. Eternal aims to keep athletes active, healthy, and performing their best for as long as possible. Offering a membership model, the company combines assessments, medical diagnostics, and ongoing guidance and accountability coaching to help athletes optimize performance, address injuries, adapt to hormonal shifts, manage long-term health, and achieve personalized athletic goals well into their later decades.

EngageRM, a global leader in sports technology solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with etrainu to develop and launch a bespoke Learning Management System (LMS) designed to support sports organizations, entertainment businesses, and internal teams across the globe. By integrating an LMS, EngageRM will provide its customers with unparalleled access to world-class learning and development tools tailored to the needs of the sports and entertainment industries. EngageRM’s innovative new LMS will support elite sports venues and organizations across leagues such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and MLS, providing robust learning opportunities for teams, partners, volunteers, and staff. 

Apple Fitness+ is getting a fresh makeover in the Strava app. The two companies have announced a collaboration to revamp how Fitness+ integrates with the popular Strava fitness community. This more detailed workout summaries, Strava athletes appearing in Fitness+ content, and a free three-month trial to the service for Strava subscribers.

SURJ Sports Investment, Saudi Arabia’s leading sports investment powerhouse, has today announced a strategic partnership with U.S-based Enfield Investment Partners aimed at amplifying and advancing their investments into sport. The signing comes while Enfield Investment Partners unveiled a new global sports asset fund valued at more than $US 4 billion. The two companies will focus on investments across properties and assets including sports teams, leagues, media and wider sport infrastructure. The partnership will strengthen SURJ Sports Investment bilateral relationships with the U.S market. 

Tennis Australia has successfully raised nearly $AUD 50 million to launch AO Ventures, a sports and entertainment fund aimed at supporting tech-focused startups. With backing from notable investors such as Tanarra Capital's John Wylie and Wollemi Capital’s Robyn Denholm, AO Ventures plans to make around 20 investments and utilize the Australian Open as an innovation testing ground. 

The planned streaming service Venu Sports has been scrapped before it even started. ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery announced they were pulling the plug on Venu. It had been expected to make available sports broadcasts from all three services as a mid-priced entry for cable cord-cutters who wanted more than a bare minimum of sports. Venu had plans for 5 million subscribers in its first year.

RoxOpt has announced that it has unveiled its AI-powered analytics platform, delivering personalized insights to elevate training, racing, and goal-setting for HYROX athletes and coaches. RoxOpt’s first product, HYROX Race Performance Reports, is powered by a proprietary AI simulation engine tailored to endurance racing. With HYROX gaining momentum as one of the world’s fastest-growing fitness competitions, RoxOpt provides athletes with actionable insights to improve performance, plan for future races, and achieve their next personal best.

Samsung Electronics announced a new partnership with Unrivaled, the groundbreaking professional women’s basketball league, to serve as its official technology and presenting partner. Founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, Samsung's smartphones (Galaxy S Series, Z Series), wearables (Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Ring), headphones (Galaxy Buds), and tablets featuring Galaxy AI, and monitors will exclusively power the league.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is launching a league-wide biomechanics program with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). Motion capture labs will be installed at the training facilities of all 30 teams within a year. The protocols have been developed in consultation with the NBPA as well as sports medicine and performance experts. Provisions for the screening program were included in the current collective bargaining agreement, requiring players to participate in up to four assessments per season. The four tech vendors are Qualisys, BreakAway Data, Bertec and Theia. P3 is also on board as a consultant.

CNBC has ranked the 75 most valuable athletic programs in the USA. The top of the list is dominated by SEC and Big Ten schools, due largely to each conference’s massive media rights deals. Ohio State University is the most valuable athletic program, worth an estimated $US 1.32 billion. The Buckeyes had $US 280 million in revenue in 2023, the most of any school. In aggregate, the SEC is worth roughly $US 13.3 billion, an average of about $US 832 million per school; followed by the Big Ten at about $US 13.2 billion, an average of roughly $US 734 million per school; the ACC at roughly $US 10 billion, or about $US 558 million per school; and the Big 12, at roughly $US 6.7 billion, or about $US 420 million per school.

Oho, a portfolio company of the Alice Anderson Fund, has just announced a five year deal with Tennis Australia to protect children in sport. The deal will see the startup’s accreditation screening and verification technology used to vet coaches, officials, athlete services, and event management teams at the Australian Open and across Tennis Australia programs nationwide. Co-founded by former World Vision CEO Claire Rogers, Oho now supports over 130 organisations across Australia, completing 2 million checks a year and thousands of corrective compliance actions. Oho has also been selected in Tennis Australia's AO Startups program.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced a new initiative in collaboration with the National Safe Boating Council to pilot interactive safety content through a free mobile app called DECKEE. The app is designed to keep boaters safe and informed. Over 1 million boat owners in Florida now have access to the benefits and safety features in the free DECKEE app. This includes detailed maps, facility information, official warnings, aids to navigation, and access to personalized equipment checklists, boating forecasts, regulations and resources.

Scrum Ventures, a San Francisco and Tokyo-based early-stage venture capital firm, announced the closing of its first vertically focused tech fund, Scrum Sports & Entertainment Fund I (SSE). The new fund, which closed at $US 68 million, invests in technology companies that support the growth of the sports and entertainment sector. SSE has already established a strong foothold in the sports and entertainment sectors, having made strategic investments in 16 promising companies.