The Future of Sport Lab (FSL), co-led by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) have unveiled the eight startups set to join the third cohort of the FSL’s incubator program.
Given all of the startups in the group are Canadian, the incubator plans to “drive additional support through other Canadian innovation agencies.”
For the first time, FSL and its partners have also selected five additional startups for other potential programs from TMU (formerly known as Ryerson University), and its campus startup incubator, the DMZ.
Launched in 2018, the FSL was made in partnership between TMU and MLSE as a collaborative lab for sport innovation. As an incubator for sport tech startups, it offers mentorship, curricular programming, pilot projects, and academic support.
A spokesperson for the FSL told BetaKit that more than 70 startups applied for its incubator program. The eight startups selected to join its third cohort were chosen after a series of interviews with a panel of industry leaders from TMU, MLSE, as well as experts and mentors across the FSL network.
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Here are the eight sport tech startups joining the FSL’s incubator program:
- BookSeats.com
- Classlete
- DIBZ
- Drive Hockey Analytics
- Innerlogic
- TheProgram.ai
- tiptapSPORTS
- Vic Park Analytics
According to FSL’s spokesperson, 11 startups have graduated from its program, going on to raise more than $30 million in financing and securing a number of sports business partnerships.
The program’s past participants include the likes of The Gist, which raised $1 million last year to fuel its United States inroads. As reported by TechCrunch, The Gist partners with major sport brands like the NBA, FanDuel, Red Bull, and Adidas.
Having held previous editions of the FSL program in person, a portion of this third cohort will be done remotely. The FSL spokesperson added that given all of the startups in the group are Canadian, the incubator plans to “drive additional support through other Canadian innovation agencies.”
Featured image from Future of Sport Lab’s website.