Startups in the field of sports with advanced technologies and new business ideas are expected to apply from all over the world. They will receive special support such as mentoring** through the one-year programme. The participants will also have networking and pitching opportunities with the Sports Advisory Board*** that consists of players and specialists from a variety of sports organisations and professional leagues and teams from Japan and the U.S.
Leading companies that are interested in sports-related open innovation are expected to participate as partners. In addition, we are planning to provide a place for testing and validating the participants' products and services, collaborating with sports facilities such as a stadium, during the second stage of the programme.
In 2016, the U.S. sports market was estimated to be more than 50 trillion yen. Within this booming industry, the investment in start-ups involved in Sports Tech, a technological solution that makes the most of IT and other new technologies that add new value to sports and create new business, has tripled in four years from 2011 to 2015.
In Japan, the government-sponsored Japan Revitalization Strategy 2016 selected sports as one of the 10 strategic public-private joint projects to be cultivated as a growth industry. The report shows a guideline set by the government which aims to expand the market for sports industry from 5.5 trillion yen in 2015 to 15.2 trillion yen in 2025.
Under this favourable environment, we aim to build a new system with which the Sports Tech innovations driven by this programmes are effectively fed back to the sports industry. Together with strategic, on-going involvement in sports business, we will contribute to the development of domestic sports and revitalisation of sports industry.
Programmes aiming to drive the growth of startups through mentoring from specialists and the matching with leading companies.
A method to develop an individual or a team. An experienced person (mentor) assists the self-sustaining growth of the assisted through personal communications and indirect advice, neither an order nor instruction, to develop the self-awareness.
Products and services that are accepted by the programme will be presented to the Sports Advisory Board to investigate the potential co-development opportunity with leading companies or the member of the Board.
Programme Briefing:
The programme briefing will be held in Japan and the U.S. Please see below for the schedule in Japan. The briefing will be held in the U.S. and other countries around October and November of 2018.
Programme Briefing in Japan:
Date: Wednesday, October 31, 2018; Registration starts at 17:30; Briefing starts at 18:00
Venue: BASE Q Hall, Tokyo Midtown Hibiya
Programme Content: Overview of SPORTS TECH TOKYO, Q&A, talk session, and networking
Participants: Startups, leading companies interested in sports-themed business development
Organizer: Dentsu Inc.
Fee: Free participation
