Sports-tech startups compete against industry giants

For the fifth time, the organizing team of the Sports Technology Award has compiled a shortlist of 44 sports companies from 20 countries to proceed to the finals. The list includes industry giants such as Puma, Juventus, ATP, Audi, Gatorade, BBC Sport and Sacramento Kings as well as young sector disrupters including eight from Switzerland. 

The selected Swiss startups will compete in eight of the 15 award categories. They bring varying innovating solutions and products ranging to the sports industry. These range from wearables designed to improve performance of active sports-persons to solutions that engage and bring the euphoria to the sports fans.

The startups include;

Be.care - Best Technology for Athlete Welfare
The Lausanne startup developed a non-invasive, central nervous-system measuring and monitoring tool that allows for connecting easily with all kinds of smart devices.

Dahu - Best New Concept or Innovation
The startup designs and manufactures ski boots that combine après-ski comfort with outer shell performance. The result surpasses the expectations from a traditional ski boot, with greater comfort and versatility.

Fanpictor - Best Technology for Fan Engagement
With its Acoustic Network, the startup offers fan engagement software that allows teams to engage and communicate with fans without relying on WiFi, bluetooth or cell phone coverage.

GaitUp - Best Technology for Athlete Welfare, and most Innovative Sports Equipment or Apparel
The startup developed Pomocup, a ski wearable to enable ski tourers increase their pleasure, technique and performance using advanced metrics.

Levuro - Best Broadcaster or Live Sports Experience
offers a social media marketing solution to improve engagement and social media marketing campaigning.

Magnes - Most Innovative Sports Equipment or Apparel, and Most Innovative Wearable
The startup developed STYX Powermeter, a wearable cycling powermeter designed to improve bikers pedalling. Based on artificial intelligence learning algorithms, STYK analyzes user’s metrics and delivers personalized data as well as feedback directly to the user’s phone.

iRewind - Best New Concept or Innovation
is an integrated tech solution that allows sport enthusiasts and entertainment consumers to capture their experiences. It provides them with multi-angle movies directly on their mobile devices.

Yoveo - Sports Technology Agency of the Year
The Zurich based startup develops video products and acts as partner on content, production and technology topics. Following the acquisition of iRewind, the company strives to become a global leader in personalized mass video production technology.

The Winners for 2018 awards will be announced on 3rd May  in front of an audience consisting of senior industry figures, influencers and athletes.

This year’s Sports Technology Award features Switzerland as the “presenting nation”. Represented by Swiss Business Hub UK & Ireland which is part of Switzerland Global Enterprise, it will present a series of Sports Technology Talks given by senior figures, from any sector, who are tangibly changing their worlds through technology.

(RAN)