Contxto – The Indianapolis Techstars Sports Accelerator has announced its latest group of ten startups. Among them, were two with Latam Roots. Under the “Fan Engagement” category came Colombian Rebus Technology and in “Sports Media,” Brazilian Esportudo was chosen.
As a result, Rebus and Esportudo will participate in a 13-week-long accelerator and receive mentorship from entrepreneurs and experts from the sports industry.
Likewise, according to sources at SportTechie, Techstars intends to invest US$120,000 in each of these startups.
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Sports accelerator wants resilient startups
Entrepreneurship and professional sports have a lot in common. They both take superhuman levels of ambition, grit, and discipline. And even that doesn’t ensure success.
Founders and athletes alike need coaches, mentors, and teams to help them along the way. Or in this case, an accelerator.
And for its 2020 edition in Indy, Techstars was looking not only for visionary enterprises but startups whose solutions were unaffected or even benefitted from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
“We searched worldwide to find not only the best founders—with tremendous determination, large visions, [who] demonstrated in-depth knowledge of their particular markets, and the humor and humility to rally a team around them,” said Jordan Fliegel, Managing Director of the Techstars Sports Accelerator.
“But also startups that were relatively insulated from the risks of a prolonged battle against Covid-19 and/or which actually benefited from some of the pandemic’s effect on consumer behavior and its associated, likely long-term, implications.”
That being said, it’s all the more meritorious that Rebus and Esportudo were accepted into the accelerator. Truly a pair of resilient startups in the face of Covid-induced uncertainty.
Rebus (Colombia)
Bogotá-based Rebus created a plugin that helps event organizers rake in extra money through ancillary experiences and products, regardless of whether it’s an in-person event or an online one. What’s all this mumbo-jumbo mean? It’s simple but resourceful.
Let’s say a fan is watching the livestream of say, a game of futbol. Through Rebus’ plug-in, organizers can simultaneously offer viewers merchandise or experiences like meet-and-greets with players.
Juliana Villalba, CEO and co-Founder at Rebus, told Contxto that their solution can yield a conversion rate of at least 15 percent for its clients.
Through Techstars, the startup plans to expand within the United States. By the end of the program, it aims to have five pilots running with different sports teams. In that sense, the accelerator will undoubtedly be a big help in connecting Rebus with major league sports.
“It’s during this period in which games will be played with no spectators that it becomes all the more relevant to rely on technology that generates additional revenue. That’s why our solutions are so sought after by the industry,” said the Executive.
Esportudo (Brazil)
This media startup is based in Boston. Nonetheless, its roots can be traced all the way to Brazil through its co-Founders: Marcos Araujo, Raphael Araujo, and Gabriella Silva.
Through the Esportudo platform, users can enjoy and follow coverage of their favorite sports teams, leagues, and players. But the experience is enhanced through the power of AI. The more a user engages on Esportudo, the better the algorithm understands and curates relevant content.
Through Techstars’ funding, Esportudo will be focusing on product development as well as increasing its userbase.
“We will be improving our platform to make it more engaging and personalized, increase our content production, and run campaigns to acquire more users,” said Marcos Araujo CEO and co-Founder at Esportudo.
Rightly so, with Covid-19 condemning us to continue self-isolating, sports viewers will eagerly seek ways to stay tuned into their teams. So they’ll bring the fandom while Rebus and Esportudo bring the tech.
Related articles: Tech and startups from Colombia!
-ML
