Liga de Futbol Professional (LaLiga) and the Global Sports Innovation Center powered by Microsoft (GSIC) have launched the “Start-up competition 2019 – The Original Inspiration Centre”, a new global competition to collaborate with the brightest and best start-ups and entrepreneurs in the information technology space.
“Start-up Competition 2019 – The Original Inspiration Centre”, will focus on new and established start-ups, early-stage ventures or growth ventures from any sector, ambitious and capable management teams with products or services; and will provide the winners with the opportunity to apply their solutions to bring world class digital innovations aimed at positioning LaLiga as the leading tech league in the world. Ventures will need to be related with at least one of the following areas: media, fan engagement, smart venue and performance. Applications for the competition will close on March 30th, 2019.
Speaking on the competition, Joris Evers, Global Communications Director, LaLiga said “we are excited about the start-up competition 2019. With this program, we are aiming to attract 10 relevant start-ups with innovative solutions that will bolster sports technology. The program will help start-ups develop solutions for the sports industry while taking their businesses to the global stage”.
Javier Del Rio, Managing Director, LaLiga Nigeria also said “This project aims to create an innovative platform that will become a reference in cutting-edge technological solutions for sports fans across the world. We are committed to the development of the game and we believe technology is one of the positive ways to drive the growth of credible, accurate and fair football globally.”
The main goal of the program is to create a gateway for Start-ups into the sports industry, helping start-ups to grow together through LaLiga and the GSIC. The competition will leverage areas such as:
- Media: OTT, Broadcasting, Social Media, Digital Content, New Media, Digital Marketing, Second Screen, Graphics, Analytics, Piracy.
- Fan Engagement: Fan Profiling, Social Media, eSports, Gamification, Social Listening, Community, Merchandising, VR/AR/MR, and Gaming.
- Smart Venue: Security, Fan Experience, Ticketing, Fan Journey, Food & Beverage, Connectivity, Cashless Payment, Access Control and Guest Management.
- Performance: Analytics, Wearable’s, Injury Prevention, Health and Lifestyle, Research.
- Others like Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning
The challenge will award The TOP 10 companies access to different LaLiga assets, depending on the business model and areas of opportunity. Assets may include: Access to Aggregated data of the competition, Access to Social media from LaLiga, HUB, PR, Branded Content, Expansion Plans (International Connection), Partners, Brand Association, Market research, Expertise / Knowledge of the competition, Test options in clubs, Internal VIP services, Advertising, Own events, actions with LaLiga Ambassadors, LaLiga Business School Training, etc. A link will also be generated with LaLiga and different options will be offered depending on the value of the Start-up: Integrate, Co-Invest, Acquisition or Collaborate.
There will be no territorial limitation to participate in the competition, so any local or international start-up can participate. Through the start-up competition 2019, different activities will be organized for the successful applicants focusing on giving them visibility across the sports-tech industry.
Applications for the competition will close by March 30th, 2019. For more information, visit https://theoriginal.sport-
About LaLiga
Founded in 1984, LaLiga is a sports association comprising the 42 teams that make up the first and second divisions of professional football in Spain. LaLiga, based in Madrid, is responsible for the LaLiga Santander and LaLiga 1|2|3 leagues and the television production, which in the 2017/2018 season reached more than 2.7 billion people globally. The association also has an active foundation and was the world’s first professional football league to establish a league for intellectually challenged footballers: LaLiga Genuine.
