Welcome to the first edition of Inside Playmakers.
Every issue, we'll catch you up on what's moving inside the network: the people, events, and know-how powering sports tech's fastest-growing companies.
We're starting with a milestone. Our founding group is officially complete, consisting of 24 founders and CEOs building some of the most exciting companies in global sports.
When we launched Playmakers, we knew our founding members would shape everything that came after — the calibre of peer exchange, the standard for who belongs here, and the spirit of collaboration that makes this a community worth showing up for. And we couldn't have asked for a stronger group to start with.
To celebrate, we’re launching ‘The Playbook’, a video series that profiles the unique entrepreneurial journeys of our members and the sports tech companies they're building.
Each episode takes you inside the world of a Playmakers peer, exploring the bets they made, breakthroughs they achieved, and lessons learned along the way, starting right below with Avneesh Prakash of CAMB.AI.
If you ever wondered what is takes to make the beauty of live sports accessible for 8 billion people, this one’s for you.
The best sports tech operators don't build alone.
They accelerate by learning from peers at their level.
Not a member yet?
While our Playbook episodes give you a window into the game-changing work of fellow members - community events are where the connections, conversations, and collaborations that define the network happen. Here’s what’s coming up, be sure to sign up:
July 30, 5:30pm CET - Online
M&A-led growth has built some of sports tech's most valuable companies, and well-timed exits remain one of the highest-conviction paths to returns. This Masterclass unpacks both sides, growth through acquisition and positioning for exit, with perspectives from a founder who has executed the M&A-led growth playbook, a boutique M&A advisor and a VC.
Aug. 30, 6:30pm CET - In Person
On the day of ISTAF, Germany's most prestigious athletics festival at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, we are hosting a Private Dinner of traditional German cuisine with an alpine twist. Connect with fellow members alongside a hand-selected mix of investors and key ecosystem partners from across sports, media, and entertainment. Optionally join us for a visit to ISTAF.
Sep. 14, 9pm CET - In Person
On the eve of World Football Summit, and the day after the F1 Spanish Grand Prix, Playmakers is gathering for a Private Dinner of classic Spanish tapas and wine. Connect with fellow members alongside a hand-picked mix of investors and key ecosystem partners from across sports, media and entertainment. Location to follow closer to the date..
Oct. 4, 11am CET - In Person
Ahead of Leaders Week, Playmakers and Sports Tech HQ are hosting a Private Brunch, possibly followed by a visit to the NFL London Game, Indianapolis Colts vs. Washington Commanders, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Join us for a standout day of high-level networking and live NFL action, alongside fellow members and a selected group of sports leaders.
Edge Sound Research: Joined NVIDIA's Inception Program to scale its Embodied Sound platform across sports and entertainment, following an introduction made at our Playmakers Dinner at PEAK.
CAMB.AI: Entered a partnership with Vodafone to power the telecom giant's contact centers with real-time multilingual capabilities, leveraging its MARS8 family of voice and translation models.
SportVot: Raised a $3.9 million funding round to drive international expansion and enhance its AI-led sports production and distribution platform streaming over 500,000 matches globally.
Coaches’ Voice: Secured investment from IIC to expand its coaching education platform, building on its Coach Cymru partnership bringing elite-level coaching content to coaches across Wales.
Gamecode.Ai: Publicly launched its AI-powered performance platform, giving coaches a natural-language interface to build custom performance metrics, used across the Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga and MLS.
Zenniz: Named an Official Smart Court System of the ITA and opened its North American headquarters in Atlanta, extending its all-in-one tennis court technology into college tennis nationwide.