SiS Masters

#33. Jenna Kurath - Comcast NBCU Sportstech Accelerator - DRIVING SPORTS INNOVATION

Jenna Kurath holds the position of Vice President of Startup Development and serves as the Head of Comcast NBCU SportsTech. She has successfully established a thriving ecosystem accelerator that involves prominent sports organizations, including the SportsTech Partner Consortium. This consortium consists of Comcast NBCUniversal's renowned sports brands such as NBC Sports, SkySports, Comcast Spectacor, Golf, alongside NASCAR, PGA TOUR, WWE, three US Olympic sports organizations, and the recent addition of the English Premier League. Comcast NBCU SportsTech finds, funds, and fast-tracks the most innovative startups from around the world that match the needs of the partners, investing in and developing the next generation of sports technologies in 8 verticals: fan / player engagement, athlete / player performance, media & entertainment, venue & event innovation, team & coaches success, fantasy sports & betting, eSports, and business of sports. In this episode, we will delve with Jenna into her journey, the why of this program, what it does, and how it enables concrete collaboration between the startups and Comcast NBCUniversal's diverse partners, generating high value both for partners and startups. Quite a virtuous ecosystem. We will also explore the journey of startups, concrete cases, and the business model surrounding the accelerator program. Prepare yourself for an insightful and captivating discussion on SiS Masters.

#32. Koen Bosma - APEX Capital - ATHLETES INVESTORS: TRANSFORMING THE GAME

Join us on this exciting episode of the podcast "Koen Bosma: From Football Player to VC Investor" as we explore Koen Bosma's incredible journey from a professional football player to becoming a Partner and Head of VC Investments at APEX Capital. Discover the purpose of Apex Capital, a trailblazing investor in sports, media, and entertainment, and how they strive to make a positive impact in the sporting world to make sport better. In this episode, we uncover Apex Capital's unique "Athlete's first" approach. Learn about the advantages of having athletes as investors and how their expertise and influence propel the growth of sports tech companies. Intrigued by the differences between American and the Rest of the World Athletes? This episode delves into the contrasting dynamics and provides insights into how Apex Capital navigates these distinctions. Tune in as we dive into Apex Capital's investment strategies and uncover the exciting verticals they focus on. Koen shares some deals already done.