The Sports Tech Allstars Podcast

Bridging the Gap Between Sports Industry and Smart Capital - Juan Fuentes Fernandez, GSIC & EBAN Sports #261

In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Juan Fuentes Fernandez, Director at GSIC Valencia and Co-Chair of EBAN Sports, the sports vertical at the European Business Angel Network. The conversation explores why European sports tech investment remains fragmented, why industry insiders and experienced investors rarely occupy the same room, and what Juan is building across two organisations to close that gap from a testing lab in Valencia certifying pre-market technologies to a pan-European angel network connecting deal flow across borders. Takeaways * Sports tech has two separate worlds - industry insiders who understand the market and experienced investors who have done exits * GSIC Valencia is a testing lab that certifies sports technologies across up to 60 metrics in cooperation with 58 Valencian sports federations * The GSIC certification carries real commercial value - it helps startups raise capital and sell to sports organisations that already trust the brand * Most business angels invest locally by default - EBAN Sports exists to break down the regulatory and knowledge barriers that prevent cross-border early-stage investment in Europe * There are not yet enough sports tech unicorn exits to attract experienced investors organically - EBAN Sports is accelerating that by bringing seasoned angels into the space * Athletes are an underutilised capital source - GSIC is developing bootcamps to help athletes become investors and entrepreneurs * Juan's investment thesis centres on B2C emerging sports like CrossFit and running, founders with an international mindset, and companies with product-market fit that need help expanding globally * A founder who gets on a plane to raise money in foreign markets is already demonstrating the mentality needed to scale internationally To learn more about GSIC: https://www.gsicenter.comhttps://sport-gsic.com/ [https://sport-gsic.com/]  To learn more about EBAN Sports: https://www.eban.orghttp://www.eban.org [http://www.eban.org/]  Get in touch with Juan Fuentes Fernandez at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanfuentesfernandez [https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanfuentesfernandez] Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohnmalhotra/]⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX [http://sportstechx.com]⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: * Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! * Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. * Here's how to get set up [https://www.notion.so/Verify-Claim-Your-Company-31b00c6ab5bd8065a056cd47a39920f3?source=copy_link] and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here [https://cal.com/khyati/15min]. More from SportsTechX: * Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE [https://intelligence.sportstechx.com/] * Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE [https://intelligence.sportstechx.com/reports/gster26] * Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  [https://newsletter.sportstechx.com/] Stay Connected and follow for more: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportstechx] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SportsTechX] * Spotify [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/sportstechx/] * Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-sports-tech-allstars-podcast/id1271329751] Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:31 Who Is Juan Fuentes Fernandez - Executive, Investor, Ecosystem Builder 04:02 What GSIC Valencia Is and Why It Was Launched 05:51 GSIC's Three Chapters  06:33 How the GSIC Testing Lab Works and What Certification Means 07:27 Who Can Apply  09:39 How Much Does GSIC Certification Cost and What Is the Process 10:49 Upcoming GSIC Initiatives 11:57 What EBAN Sports Is and Why Juan Co-Founded It 12:45 The Fragmentation Problem in European Sports Tech Investment 17:34 Two Worlds That Don't Meet: Industry Insiders vs Experienced Investors 18:20 Why Sports Tech Needs Both to Grow 20:20 A Year of EBAN Sports  21:07 How Investors and Startups Can Join EBAN Sports 23:04 What Is Coming Up on the EBAN Sports Event Calendar 23:54 Juan's Personal Investment Thesis  26:00 Nine Portfolio Companies and What Juan Looks for in Founders 27:33 How to Connect With Juan on LinkedIn 28:09 Favourite Sporting Moment

Why the NFL Chose Wearables Over Cameras and What Changed - Josh Helmrich, NFL #260

In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Josh Helmrich, Senior Director of Media Strategy, Business Development and Next Gen Stats at the NFL. The conversation explores how the NFL went from zero player tracking data to a platform that powers broadcast graphics, officiating decisions, coaching strategy, health and safety research and the Madden video game - and what the next evolution of that platform looks like now that optical tracking has entered the picture. Takeaways * Next Gen Stats started as a working project name that nobody gave much thought * The NFL chose wearable ultra-wideband tracking over optical at the start because of the unique occlusion challenges in American football  * In the first game of tracking, the NFL collected more data than in the entire history of the league combined * Marrying optical and wearable tracking together is the real unlock  * The Big Data Bowl identified a winning rushing yards model from a Japanese team that had never watched American football and did not speak English * Ball tracking at the bottom of a pile-up remains an unsolved problem  * The NFL now has 29 data points per player at 10 frames per second  * Innovation partners do not need to wait for the NFL to come to them  * The Big Data Bowl has become a talent pipeline, placing graduates directly into NFL clubs and the league office To learn more, visit: https://nextgenstats.nfl.com [https://nextgenstats.nfl.com] Get in touch with Josh Helmrich at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshhelmrichlinkedin.com/in/josh-helmrich-07a93510 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-helmrich-07a93510]  Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohnmalhotra/]⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX [http://sportstechx.com]⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: * Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! * Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. * Here's how to get set up [https://www.notion.so/Verify-Claim-Your-Company-31b00c6ab5bd8065a056cd47a39920f3?source=copy_link] and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here [https://cal.com/khyati/15min]. More from SportsTechX: * Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE [https://intelligence.sportstechx.com/] * Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE [https://intelligence.sportstechx.com/reports/gster26] * Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  [https://newsletter.sportstechx.com/] Stay Connected and follow for more: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportstechx] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SportsTechX] * Spotify [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/sportstechx/] * Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-sports-tech-allstars-podcast/id1271329751] Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:11 Sports Innovation Düsseldorf and the NFL in Europe 03:17 How the NFL Is Building an International Fan Base 05:18 The Origin of Next Gen Stats  06:02 Why the NFL Chose Wearable Tracking Over Optical 08:17 The Evolution of Sensors 10:34 Why Optical Tracking Took 10 Years to Arrive in the NFL 12:27 Ball Tracking in Football vs Other Sports 13:17 Was There a Plan or Did the Use Cases Reveal Themselves? 14:27 Enabling Coaches, Officials and Health Teams to Find Their Own Use Cases 15:49 AWS, the Big Data Bowl and Opening Up NFL Data 16:33 What the Big Data Bowl Actually Is and Why It Works 18:24 The Japanese Team That Won Without Ever Watching American Football 20:31 How the Big Data Bowl Became a Talent Pipeline for NFL Clubs 21:45 How the NFL Evaluates and Partners With New Technology Providers 22:56 The Unsolved Problem: Ball Tracking at the Bottom of a Pile-Up 24:09 What Kind of Technology the NFL Is Actively Looking For 25:09 What the Next 12–18 Months Look Like for Next Gen Stats 26:23 A Call to Action for International Sports Tech Innovators 27:42 Favourite Sporting Moment

Why Indiana Is America's Most Underrated Sports Tech Hub - Jeff Hintz, SportsTech HQ #259

In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Jeffrey Hintz, VP of Innovation at Indiana Sports Corp and Executive Director at SportsTech HQ. The conversation explores why Indianapolis - home to the NFL Combine, NCAA headquarters, IndyCar, the new Cadillac F1 team, and 50 plus sports tech companies - is one of the most overlooked sports tech ecosystems in the world, and how Jeff is building the infrastructure to put it firmly on the global map. Takeaways * Indiana is home to the NFL Combine, NCAA, IndyCar, USA Football, USA Track and Field, USA Gymnastics, the Cadillac F1 team and the National High School Sports Federation  * The Indiana Sports Corp was the first sports commission ever founded in the US, established in 1979, and has since inspired over 350 similar organisations globally * Sports Tech HQ is not an accelerator or co-working space  * Infrastructure that connects startups to pro teams, governing bodies, universities and investors * Indiana offers a genuine competitive advantage for sports tech companies: denser access to decision-makers and faster traction than larger, noisier markets * Consolidation in athlete performance tech is accelerating - the trend is toward one platform that manages and measures everything * Youth sports globally is still largely run on spreadsheets and payment apps - the disruption opportunity remains wide open * The over-monetisation of fans is an emerging tension in US sport, mirroring conversations already happening in European football * Local fans create the atmosphere and the product - losing them to pricing pressure risks killing the golden goose * Fan-owned models like the German 50+1 rule preserve exactly what makes sport worth watching in the first place To learn more, visit: https://www.sportstech.orghttps://sthq.org/ Get in touch with Jeffrey Hintz at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhintzlinkedin.com/in/jeffrey-hintz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-hintz] Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohnmalhotra/]⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX [http://sportstechx.com]⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: * Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! * Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. * Here's how to get set up [https://www.notion.so/Verify-Claim-Your-Company-31b00c6ab5bd8065a056cd47a39920f3?source=copy_link] and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here [https://cal.com/khyati/15min]. More from SportsTechX: * Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE [https://intelligence.sportstechx.com/] * Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE [https://intelligence.sportstechx.com/reports/gster26] * Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  [https://newsletter.sportstechx.com/] Stay Connected and follow for more: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportstechx] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SportsTechX] * Spotify [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/sportstechx/] * Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-sports-tech-allstars-podcast/id1271329751] Chapters 00:00 Introduction  02:53 The 2016 Ryder Cup  05:14 What It Takes to Run a Four-Year Event in Six Days  06:50 From PGA Tour to Indiana Sports Corp  08:24 Why Indiana Is a Sports Tech Hub Most People Don't Know About  09:27 The NCAA, IndyCar, Cadillac F1 and the Density of Indiana's Sports Ecosystem  10:23 What SportsTech HQ Actually Does  11:35 Indiana as a Landing Pad for International Sports Tech Companies  12:26 Highlights: Six Techstars Cohorts, 66 Companies and Growing  14:26 Indiana Is the Middle Coast  And That's a Competitive Advantage  17:33 Trends in Sports Tech: Consolidation, Youth Sports and AI-Driven Decisions  19:21 The Fan Economy, NIL and the Always-On Club Brand  22:12 Youth Sports Still Runs on Spreadsheets  23:14 Are Fans Being Over-Monetised?  25:47 Sports Betting, Distraction and the Warning Signs in the US  26:10 The 50+1 Rule, Fan Ownership and the Golden Goose Problem  29:20 FC Union Berlin, International Fans and Why the Model Matters  31:09 How Tech Can Help Clubs Balance Local and Global Fandom  32:33 What the Next 12–18 Months Look Like for SportsTech HQ  34:26 Peak Sports Tech Vegas, the Final Four Summit and Mark Cuban  37:41 Favourite Sporting Moment

The Human Readiness Platform Winning Championships - Andrew Powell, Ethos #258

In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Andrew Powell, CEO and Co-Founder of Ethos. The conversation explores how two college roommates built a human readiness platform out of a dorm room at UNC, why the mental side of sport remains the most underinvested edge in elite performance, and how the same technology that helped the Seattle Seahawks win a Super Bowl is now training US Air Force fighter pilots. Takeaways * The mental side of sport is still the most underserved performance lever * Ethos started as Duolingo for sports playbooks and has evolved into a full human readiness platform serving the NFL, NCAA, US military and enterprise clients * Coaches spend 95% of their time finding insights and only 5% ensuring players actually understand them - Ethos flips that ratio * Michigan credited Ethos insights with a game-changing interception in the national championship game * The translation from NFL playbook training to fighter pilot combat tactics was more direct than expected  * The majority of Ethos revenue now comes from the US Department of Defense, with sports and commercial clients each representing around 20% * AI agent workflows for coaching staffs are the next frontier  * NIL and the professionalization of college sports are creating new commercial opportunities that the industry is still structuring around * More data and better tools do not homogenise sport  To learn more, visit: https://www.ethosreadiness.comhttps://www.ethossystems.com/company Get in touch with Andrew Powell at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpowell-ethoslinkedin.com/in/andrew-powell-15180731 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-powell-15180731/]  Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohnmalhotra/]⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX [http://sportstechx.com]⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: * Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! * Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. * Here's how to get set up [https://www.notion.so/Verify-Claim-Your-Company-31b00c6ab5bd8065a056cd47a39920f3?source=copy_link] and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here [https://cal.com/khyati/15min]. More from SportsTechX: * Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE [https://intelligence.sportstechx.com/] * Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE [https://intelligence.sportstechx.com/reports/gster26] * Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  [https://newsletter.sportstechx.com/] Stay Connected and follow for more: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportstechx] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SportsTechX] * Spotify [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/sportstechx/] * Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-sports-tech-allstars-podcast/id1271329751] Chapters 00:00 Introduction  02:28 The Dorm Room Origin Story of Ethos  04:16 Why Athletes Are Drowning in Data But Starving for Clarity  05:09 The Learning Science Behind the Platform  06:45 How Coach Insight Data Changes Everything  08:37 Why Mental Readiness Is the Last Untapped Edge in Elite Sport  09:12 Working With the Seattle Seahawks on Their Super Bowl Run  11:55 Cognitive Development, Memory and the Underplayed Mental Game  12:45 From NCAA Basketball to NFL - The Sports Portfolio  14:49 Human Readiness Beyond Sport - The Rebrand From Learn to Win to Ethos  15:45 How NFL Playbook Training Translates to Fighter Pilot Combat Tactics  20:02 What Makes Ethos Different From Corporate Learning Management Platforms  21:23 Revenue Split: Military, Sports and Commercial  22:24 AI Agents for Coaching Staffs 25:06 Does More Data Make Sport Less Exciting? 27:39 Formula One, Adrian Newey and Why Better Baselines Create More Innovation  28:27 What the Next 12–18 Months Look Like for Ethos  29:55 Favourite Sporting Moment

The First All-Female Led Club in German Football - Lisa Währer, FC Viktoria Berlin #257

In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Lisa Währer, Co-Founder and Managing Director of FC Viktoria Berlin. The conversation explores how six women with a startup mindset took over one of Germany's oldest football clubs and are building something that looks nothing like traditional German football - from bold branding and digital ticketing to securing the first European investment from Monarch Collective, the fund behind Angel City FC. Takeaways * FC Viktoria Berlin is Germany's first fully female-led football club, operating across both men's and women's sides * The startup mindset is not a marketing angle - several of the six co-founders come directly from the startup and angel investing world * Women's football creates a fundamentally different matchday atmosphere - more inclusive, more family-friendly, and commercially distinct from the men's game * Berlin had no dominant sports team and no professional women's football presence * Monarch Collective's first European investment signals growing institutional confidence in women's football as an asset class * The gender data gap in football is real  * Multi-club ownership models make particular sense in women's football where knowledge transfer and shared infrastructure accelerate professionalization * Germany's 50+1 rule continues to deter investors who can find more control  * The next 12 months are about scaling revenue, building toward profitability, and preparing for first division football To learn more, visit: https://www.fc-viktoria-berlin.dehttp://www.fcviktoria.com [http://www.fcviktoria.com/] Get in touch with Lisa Währer at: linkedin.com/in/lisa-währer-58a36058 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-w%C3%A4hrer-58a36058]  Hosted by ⁠Rohn Malhotra [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohnmalhotra/]⁠ from ⁠SportsTechX [http://sportstechx.com]⁠ - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports.  As promised, here's your small surprise: * Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! * Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. * Here's how to get set up [https://www.notion.so/Verify-Claim-Your-Company-31b00c6ab5bd8065a056cd47a39920f3?source=copy_link] and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here [https://cal.com/khyati/15min]. More from SportsTechX: * Explore the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub, an interactive database of over 8,000 sports tech companies, 8,000+ deals, 1,000+ investors, programs and events - HERE [https://intelligence.sportstechx.com/] * Download the latest Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report - HERE [https://intelligence.sportstechx.com/reports/gster26] * Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech - HERE  [https://newsletter.sportstechx.com/] Stay Connected and follow for more: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportstechx] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SportsTechX] * Spotify [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/sportstechx/] * Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-sports-tech-allstars-podcast/id1271329751] Chapters 00:00 Introduction  02:30 What Makes FC Viktoria Berlin Different  04:38 The Matchday Atmosphere and Why Women's Football Feels Different  06:01 Why Berlin Was the Right City for This Project  08:06 Berlin's Fragmented Sports Market and the Opportunity It Created  09:14 The Startup DNA Behind FC Viktoria's Six Founders  11:26 What the FC Viktoria Brand Actually Stands For  13:33 Tech and Innovation at the Club - From Digital Ticketing to Player Data  16:10 The Gender Data Gap in Women's Football  16:47 Working With Kinexon to Bridge the Data Gap  17:30 Multi-Club Ownership, Monarch Collective and the Investment Landscape  18:39 Where Women's Football Investment Is Heading in Germany and Europe  21:36 Why Women's Football Is a Better Early-Stage Investment Than Men's  22:31 What the Next 12–18 Months Look Like for FC Viktoria  24:33 Why This Is One of the Most Exciting Stories in Women's Sport  25:25 Favourite Sporting Moment