Applications for this year’s HYPE UQ SPIN Accelerator are open.
Aimed at startups in the sportstech space, the three month program will be run online, with three on-site workshops at the University of Queensland in Brisbane.
Along with connecting participants to mentors from organisations including Nike, Adidas, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the program will also award $25,000 in prize money to the best startup as judged on demo day.
The inaugural Australian program was run last year in conjunction with the Commonwealth Games, with participants making their final pitches to investors at the Games.
According to Bernie Woodcroft, director of the UQ ilab, said the inaugural cohort has gone on to raise over $3.5 million in funding since the program wrapped.
Kate Jones, Queensland Innovation Minister, believes the program is a good fit for Queensland.
“Connecting budding sports tech entrepreneurs with leaders in the industry ensures we remain ahead of the curve,” she said.
“Queenslanders love their sport. Combined with our strong culture of entrepreneurship, I’m confident this year’s intake will develop new sport technology that will push the boundaries.”
Among the startups that took part in the 2018 accelerator were BioConnected, which has created wireless headphones with a built-in heart rate monitor and in-ear training coach; connected smart ball startup Jetson Industries; and Arival, which has created a second screen experience for sports fans, connecting them to player stats as they watch a game.
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