THE SPOT Names Award Partners

Thinkport has announced four influential Award Partners who will be closely involved in the heat of the start-up battle at THE SPOT. Asics Tenkan-Ten Growth Catalyst, Eurovision Sport, Swiss Timing and UEFA will all oversee different rounds of the start-up battle and potentially help some of the competing young entrepreneurs to develop and grow further.

THE SPOT, an international sport and innovation event, will be back in Lausanne on 28 and 29 May and bring together hundreds of visionaries, tech gurus, curious minds, solution seekers, providers and investors.

Anna Hellman, Director of ThinkSport, said: “We are thrilled to have such prestigious partners for the start-up battle, which is a key element of THE SPOT experience. All of these four Award Partners perfectly embody the spirit of the event, embracing progress and innovation within their organisations, for the good of sport and society.”

The start-up battle, operated by Venturelab, will feature 40 pre-selected young companies which will go toe-to-toe during four different rounds on the first day. Each session will spawn one winner who will then move on to the final, to be held on the second day. The jury will be made up of experts from the academic, business and sports world. The incentives for the competing young entrepreneurs include prestige, prize money and potential collaboration opportunities with the Award Partners.

A separate discovery battle will offer a platform for early stage start-ups to pitch their innovative ideas in front of experts.

In addition to the start-up battle, THE SPOT will feature a Marketplace and Demo Zone, where participants will be able to present and discover brand new products and solutions with changing stands every day; a conference programme in untraditional format; and numerous networking opportunities.

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