A new platform for startups developing innovations in sports has been launched at Barcelona’s Nou Camp stadium.
The SPIN Lab initiative – from the HYPE Foundation – brings together leading institutions from around the world to offer an accelerator designed to assist young companies advance products and services that ‘address specific market needs and predicted trends’. The HYPE Foundation is a global ecosystem with access to 26,000 investors, brands, academics and startups. It connects and invests in the ecosystem to generate new pathways for sports.
“The SPIN Lab initiative is a perfect complement with HYPE’s activities in the sports innovation space. By teaming up with top partners, the program will get the highest level of local and global mentoring. We are committed to creating a go-to program for entrepreneurs, looking to fulfill their dreams in the sports technology business,” explained HYPE Foundation’s Partner and Chief Innovation Officer, Dr Ilan Hadar.
London’s Loughborough University, The University of Queensland, (UQ) in Australia, San Jose State University, California, and Trentino Sviluppo and The University of Trento, Italy, are the four partner institutions.
Professor James Skinner, Director of the Institute for Sport Business at Loughborough University London added: “I’m excited to launch the SPIN Lab and partner with the HYPE Foundation. This is a powerful program that takes sports startups to the next level, and as a university that proved to be at the forefront of sports management studies, we are certain this collaboration will be fruitful and impactful from academic and business standpoint.”
Applications for the SPIN Lab are open now with the first accelerator scheduled to take place in January next year.
