Soccer fans all over the world have spent the last couple of weeks watching their favorite European football clubs compete in the UEFA Euro 2016 in France. While sports has always been a focus in France, which is of course hosts global events like the Tour de France and the French Open, the sports sector is on the rise there and the partners of Le Tremplin are primed to lead the charge.
After a successful first cohort in which Le Tremplin assisted and supported seventeen start-ups, they are gearing up for their second edition which will feature nineteen up-and-coming innovative companies. Benjamin Carlier, Director of Le Tremplin, shared that the 100+ applicants who applied were critiqued based on the quality and potential of the proposed innovation, the viability of the project from an economic standpoint, and the team. “There is a much higher expectation and receptiveness to innovation with the sports ecosystem and Le Tremplin and its startups are there to meet the expectations,” said Carlier.
To say the second cohort has big shoes to fill is an understatement. The companies in the first edition generated 45 jobs, saw their combined turnover increase by 174%, received 16 prizes and rewards and more than a 1,000 publications in the media. Thirteen of them have also managed to raise funds for a total of about €12M. Some of the more successful companies include products for the everyday athlete like Gymlib, a gym reservation platform and Running Heroes, which encourages runners to get out and run to tracking platforms for professional athletes like FootoVision and Mojjo who provide game analytics based on video tracking for soccer and tennis, respectively, and Mac Lloyd who uses connected sensors to track rugby and soccer players.
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The economic sports structure in France is currently being created, Carlier explained, so it’s the perfect time to create a sports innovation platform that gives startups the means to develop their company. He also notes that the possible innovations range from enhancing the fan experience to the performance of amateur athletes and professional athletes through tools like IoT apps, tracking tools, sports events management, and gear optimization.
The second cohort will feature the same philosophy that made the first cohort successful: startups working in open spaces so they can meet frequently, learn from one another and constantly exchange ideas and best practices. Carlier and Omar El Zayat, Head of Incubation at Le Tremplin, lead the mentoring of each team. Carlier brings a strong network from his past experience in the cabinet of the ministry of sports while El Zayat has an engineering and entrepreneurial background. A UC Berkeley Engineer grad, he worked in shipbuilding, financial auditing, and as an entrepreneur in the digital and music sectors.
The individual mentoring includes guidance from Carlier and El Zayat on their strategy, reviewing their business plan and coaching them on pitching their ideas as well as advising on technical decisions. Additionally, experts are brought in for talks, workshops, conferences, and focus groups that address specific topics based on the startups’ needs. These topics could include media training, client retention, fundraising and user experience, just to name a few. The other important elements are networking and media exposure. Le Tremplin connects the startups with partners and influential people in the industrial, economic, and institutional sports ecosystem and works to make sure media outlets are aware of their initiatives through press releases and other media mentions.
Like any incubation program, Le Tremplin also guides the startups through Demo and Pitch Days where they present their project in front of an audience. Carlier emphasizes the importance of these events in saying, “This type of event drastically accelerates the introductions to the decision makers in corporations, federations and sports institutions.”
New in the second cohort is the location where the startups will meet. For the first time, a sports tech incubator will have its offices in a stadium. Carlier excitedly told me, “We are working in the sports industry and our offices are in a location that is dedicated to sports!” Stade Jean-Bouin is located in the “Golden Triangle of Parisian Sports.” It sits across the street from the Parc des Prince, home to the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club and host to the Euro 2016 Finals game which will be held in a few weeks. Stade Roland-Garros, the Longchamp Racecourse and Stade Pierre de Coubertin are nearby as well as several sports networks and media outlets.
Carlier is most excited about the collaboration with the Parisian Rugby Club, Le Stade Francais, who calls Stade Jean-Bouin home. Along with agreeing to let the startups organize meetings at the stadium, the club will also be a part of experiments and partnerships with the startups. There will be challenges, though, the biggest of which is transforming a stadium into an optimum working space. There’s no doubt Le Tremplin will overcome those challenges and the startups in their second edition of incubation will certainly be inspired by their surroundings.
With Euro 2016 heating up and Le Tremplin calling Stade Jean-Bouin their home for this second cohort, one product to keep your eye out for is Wefan, which looks to enhance the TV fans experience by enabling them to support their team as if they were in the stadium.