Southampton FC has joined forces with Sport Republic, Yolo Group and Yolo Group to launch “The Future of Football” challenge in order to identify and propel the next generation of sportstech innovators.
The Saints are hosting a first-of-its-kind Accelerator Competition hosted by a Premier League Football Club. The Saints welcomes all “early stage sportstech” to try their ideas to innovate football and create new experiences.
Southampton FC, led by Yolo Group & Sport Republic will start a virtual program that lasts four weeks. The Challengers will be focusing on Web3 or sportstech developments in order to offer novel solutions for football development such as scouting and training, recovery and innovating fan engagement disciplines. This could include gamification, loyalty programs, global fan engagement, and gamification.
“We’re excited to see programme participants create the future of football,” stated Sarah Batters (Director Marketing and Partnerships, Southampton FC). We are excited for programme participants to create the future football .”
Qualifying start ups will have the opportunity to take part in Yolo Group’s ‘tailored workshop’ to evaluate their pilot solutions.
After the trial period ends, St. Mary’s hosts a final where participants will present their business plans to SFC. The finale also includes a PS100k discretionary cash prize pool and an opportunity for start-ups to pitch for commercial relationships.
Yolo Group operates the leading cryptocurrency betting site Sportsbet.io. Since 2020, it has been the principal sponsor of Southampton FC.
Yolo Group founder Tim Heath supported the contest, saying: “This competition is designed to push borders, to bring together solutions from startups across the globe. This competition will allow you to test and create unique solutions. Innovation is what drives us, and we look forward to the results .”
Southampton FC owner – Sport Republic, a fund based in London that specializes in entertainment and sports investments, is Dragan Solak, the lead investor.
Henrik Kraft (Sport Republic Chairman) said that they are looking forward to taking part in the Future of Football Challenge to spur innovation in sport technology. “We continue to seek the most innovative sports tech companies to add to our portfolio, and leverage our clubs for growth.”
