Comcast Corp. is doubling the length of its SportsTech accelerator, and has revealed the 10 startups chosen for its third class.
Philadelphia-based Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) has shifted from 12 weeks to a six-month program for the 10 startups, which were chosen from a pool of close to 1,000 applicants. The startups come from across the world, leveraging technology in sports ranging from concessions to ticketing to social media platforms. All startups receive a $50,000 capital investment from Comcast and Boomtown, the operating partner that designs innovation programs for companies and organizations. .
The SportsTech program launched in 2020 with the backing of a three-year, $45 million deal with six brands: NASCAR, U.S. Ski and Snowboard and USA Swimming, along with Comcast sports brands NBC Sports, Sky Sports and Golf Channel. Since, the accelerator has expanded to partnerships with USA Cycling, WWE and the PGA Tour. Collectively, the two previous SportsTech classes secured 90 pilots, partnerships and commercial deals with the program's partners.
Jenna Kurath, vice president of startup partnerships at Comcast and head of SportsTech, said that the extension of the program allows participating startups more time to "tackle complex business challenges." The accelerator begins this week in Florida with programming at the PGA Tour headquarters and NASCAR's Daytona International Speedway.
Here is a look at the startups that were chosen from the pool of 920 applicants:
Aircast — Melbourne, Australia
Aircast is a streaming technology designed for sports venues that allows spectators to access various cameras within a venue, along with commentary and data. It can also broadcast video outside of a venue, but aims to make spectators "the director of their own experience" with the goal of bringing fans back to stadiums.
EINBLIQ.IO — Munich, Germany
The software-as-a-service company provides data insights for streaming services and can be tailored to companies' needs. Founded in 2020, the startup has raised over $200,000, according to CrunchBase.
FanFest — New York
The New York startup provides a platform for teams' fans to host their own membership-based live shows simultaneously with sports events. Founded in 2020, the company has raised a $1.2 million seed round, according to CrunchBase.
FanSaves — Ottawa, Canada
The Canadian startup is a couponing app that allows fans to receive exclusive deals and discounts. It works with a number of minor league hockey and baseball teams including Philadelphia Flyers affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
GeoSnapShot — Sydney, Australia and Denver
GeoSnapShot is a platform that allows participants at an event — a marathon for example — to easily find photos of themselves taken during the event. Amateur, professional or volunteer photographers can upload their pictures and a participant can find the ones they appear in by taking a selfie or searching a bib number. It has been used by over 16,000 events across the world and has raised $243,000.
Quicc — Wichita, Kansas
Quicc allows users to search for a word or phrase in their video libraries by automating captions to help make video editing more efficient. The startup was founded in 2018 by two Wichita State University alums.
Recut — New York
Recut allows companies to produce personalized videos at scale for fans and audiences. For example, it could give an athlete or team president the ability to greet fans by name through a video that is easily scaled to large audiences.
Rivalry Tech — Houston
Rivalry Tech's platform allows fans to mobile order concessions at venues through its sEATz and myEATz apps. It works with Philadelphia-based Aramark, the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox, among other universities and sports teams.
RIZZARR — Detroit
The Detroit startup is a digital marketplace for influencers to create content for brands with a focus on impact and relatability.
Tickets for Good — Sheffield, United Kingdom
The startup works with venues to give them the ability to give unpurchased tickets to charities and other similar groups for free or at a discounted price.
