Applications for Tennis Australia’s latest accelerator program for sports and entertainment startups have just opened

Applications for the second round of Tennis Australia’s AO StartUps accelerator program are now open.

Seven tech startup were part of the inaugural cohort, developing and testing out their ideas in real time during the Australian Open (AO) in January, including Cape Bionics, Equidi, Calyx, MATCHi, Amperfii, Recut and YBVR.

The program helps startups develop their technology at the AO and across other areas of Tennis Australia’s business.

Tennis Australia Head of Innovation Dr Machar Reid said they’re pleased to offer the accelerator program to more startups.

“We were encouraged by the interest from companies across the globe seeking to be part of the inaugural AO StartUps portfolio and have seen immediate benefits from the various pilot programs across our business,” he said.

“Our mid-year intake provides an extended runway for emerging founders to test, develop and execute a pilot that showcases the strength of their technology by helping athletes, fans or the global tennis community.

“It’s pushing our innovation agenda at Tennis Australia and at the same time providing great investment opportunities for the future”.

AO StartUps is led by Tennis Australia’s Innovation team and follows the launch of Tennis Australia’s Venture Capital fund, Wildcard Ventures, and its multi-year partnership with global accelerator powerhouse, Techstars.

The sport and entertainment verticals of most interest during the mid-year intake include technologies that augment athlete performance, AI-powered products and experiences targeting legacy media and business services, and the world of Padel tennis.

Early-stage tech companies have until 5 June 2023 to apply. Details at aostartups.ausopen.com.