AO Startups, the sports tech accelerator program by Tennis Australia, has selected seven new startups for its third cohort.
Tennis Australia Head of Innovation Dr Machar Reid stated they had hundreds of applications from companies across the globe before narrowing it down to just seven.
The startups will have the opportunity to prove their business models in real-time and directly access proprietary intel and exposure at the Australian Open in Melbourne in January.
There’s also the possibility of funding from Tennis Australia’s venture capital fund, Wildcard Ventures.
The inaugural program kicked off in January during this year’s Australian Open and included Cape Bionics, Equidi, Calyx, MATCHi, Amperfii, Recut, and YBVR – with each of them headlining new initiatives across various aspects of the sport.
The startups selected for this cohort are:
PAM based in Australia is an integrated cloud-based CX platform, to help customers find a parking spot, the right store, seat or promotion, bathroom, or their favorite food at events.
Raven based in the UK is an AI-driven incident management platform that provides real-time situational awareness for all stakeholders involved in event and venue management.
Circular based in France is a developer of the only wearable device (smart ring) in the world assisted by a conversational AI assistant that delivers accessible recommendations to make sense of wellness data for the user.
Straffr based in Germany is a science-led functional fitness equipment including the world’s first smart resistance band.
Stringr based in the US is a new mobile app that connects tennis players with trusted, local racquet stringers on-demand.
DVOX based in Canada provides a reliable and simple way to stream live audio content directly to event attendees’ smartphones without the need for apps or extra hardware.
Trickshot based in the UK is a platform that enables content creators and rights holders to generate immersive digital experiences for fans using 3D player and ball tracking data.
