Plug and Play Frisco Unveils First Batch of Startups for Sportstech Program
FRISCO, TEXAS, April 24, 2024 — Plug and Play Frisco has announced the 11 Sportstech startups that were selected for the inaugural batch of the Sportstech accelerator programs. The startups will graduate and pitch their ideas at Expo which is scheduled to take place in Frisco, Texas on May 23, marking the culmination of the program.
“Our Sportstech program will naturally place the city of Frisco on the international and national stage,” said David Steele, Director of Plug and Play Frisco. “The founding partnership with the Frisco Economic Development Corporation (EDC) shows the city’s commitment to showcasing Sports City USA’s position as a hub for sports organization, technology and innovation. By establishing a presence in Frisco, we will foster innovation, drive collaboration, and accelerate the development and adoption of new technologies that will shape the future of sports.”
The startups selected for participation in Batch 1 of the Sportstech program include:
Areto Labs uses AI to tackle online abuse, spam, and illegal streaming on social media. Their innovative tools foster safe audience growth at scale, while providing actionable insights that go beyond sentiment analysis to optimize sponsorships, enhance fan engagement and maximize content effectiveness.
Brainsafe is a concussion application, featuring diagnostics through pupil reaction to light, cognitive test, a six-step rehabilitation program supported by digital consultations.
G8RSkin™ PPE is a proprietary balaclava that can remove up to 87g of force from a collision, thus mitigating the risk of concussion.
Nanochon is developing a low cost and highly effective device to treat cartilage damage in the knee, in young and active patients, based on 3D printing and a synthetic cartilage-like polymer.
Wearable bioelectronic devices that provide personalized diagnoses and treatments for balance disruptions caused by aging, injuries or disease.
Spike is an API for all health and fitness data from Wearables & IoT with Generative AI analytics for Digital Health applications.
Optimizing fitness, health and longevity of individuals everywhere with novel Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF) assessments.
A peer-to-peer food and beverage delivery service designed specifically for in-seat delivery in stadiums, concert venues, and outdoor events.
Uplift's 3D motion capture platform uses only iPhones to deliver AI-powered insights that optimize movement performance and health for pro and amateur athletes.
Wild.AI considers a woman's current life stage and unique hormonal cycle to provide recommendations to help optimize performance.
XO-NANO engineers enhanced foam products which can sense impacts and pressure.
The first cohort comprises companies from four different countries and five different states within the United States, with two being from North Texas. The startups’ technologies seek to address a variety of problems within the industry, including human potential and performance, smart stadiums, devices and wearables, and immersive training in the sportstech space.
“Being a part of the Plug and Play Sportstech Batch 1 is an amazing honor and a tremendous opportunity for G8RTech to learn from industry experts and to network not just with industry leaders but fellow startups as well,” said Carter Hogg, Founder of G8RTech, a startup participating in the program.
The program, which has already begun and will run for approximately six weeks, includes orientation, intake interviews, virtual workshops, and corporate reverse pitches. Additionally, the chosen startups will participate in a series of business development webinars, mentor sessions with industry experts, and projects with the program's corporate partners.
“We're so excited to be part of a legendary program like Plug and Play, especially in Texas where we've never been,” said Helene Guillaume, Founder and CEO of Wild.AI, another startup participating in the program. “We're looking forward to engaging with the corporates, sports teams from the program and getting some great business done, advancing female sports together. We've seen unprecedented viewership of games, motivating teams to invest at youth levels and beyond, to understand the female physiology and empower teams with this science—which is what we're doing at Wild.AI, enabling athletes to reduce negative symptoms, increase their potential and feel empowered.”
Frisco Spring 2024 Expo is open to the public and will feature industry-specific speakers and startup pitches, followed by networking opportunities. More information is available here.
“We are more than excited to get this inaugural batch up and running here in Frisco,” said Rijo Walker, Program Manager of Plug and Play Frisco. “The sportstech space naturally invites excitement and the founders of these great companies are going to provide limitless innovation opportunities. It is a special opportunity to help cultivate the startups’ growth with Plug and Play’s access to resources, mentors, and the greater ecosystem.”
Plug and Play, a global innovation platform, recently announced its Frisco location in collaboration with the Frisco Economic Development Corporation, focusing on the Sportstech industry.
About Plug and Play
Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform—connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're present in 60+ locations across five continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we've invested in hundreds of successful companies, including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/
Plug and Play Frisco Contact:
David Steele
Director of Plug and Play Frisco
d.steele@pnptc.com