10 startups from 6 countries were selected amongst 1640 scouted startups to join the three-month intensive Accelerator Program

Doha - 20, October 2020:  Qatar SportsTech (QST), a leading startup accelerator and hub for innovative sportstech companies, has announced the selected sportstech startups who will join the third cohort of its highly anticipated Accelerator Program. 

QST is initiated by Qatar Development Bank (QDB), powered by Startupbootcamp (SBC), and supported by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), Qatar Stars League (QSL), beIN Media Group (beIN), Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), Aspire Zone Foundation (Aspire), MBK Holding and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MOCI). 

10 sportstech startups from 6 countries joined the Accelerator Program on the 27th of September 2020 and will reap the benefits of a three-month intensive program, culminating in the final Demo Day set to be held in December 2020. The 10 top finalists were selected after a thorough selection process supported by Qatar SportsTech partners and mentors including QDB, SBC, SC, QSL, beIN, QFC, Aspire, MBK Holding, MOCI, Aspetar, Microsoft for Startups, Ooredoo, Al Shaqab, Paris Saint-Germain, FlyFWD and 360nautica.

Held in Aspire Zone, the heart of Doha’s Sports City, QST’s intensive three-month Accelerator Program will run for 3 months and is designed to help innovative startups accelerate their growth and further develop their solutions in the industry, in line with QST’s vision to be a catalyst for reshaping sports technology in the region and beyond. 

The winning startups include Armony, Dronur, Fancision, Fate Esports, Golazzos, GymCraft, GymStory, HotSwitch, LA.I.FE and Yoomedoo. 

The third cohort startups cover the most disruptive technologies, including coach-player wireless communication, drone and AI-based remote health monitoring, platforms for fitness gaming, fitness activities tracking, connecting fans and managing e-sports talents. An e-resume generator for football players and a data-driven music feed startups also made their way to the selection. 

Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al Mannai, the Executive Director of Advisory & Incubation of QDB, said: “I would like to congratulate all the successful startups for joining this highly valuable program, and for contributing in supporting Qatar’s vision to position itself as a leading sports hub globally. I would also like to thank all of our local and global partners for their continuous support and commitment”. 

Heba Qadri Almasri, Managing Director of QST, also said: “We are delighted with the high caliber of ideas we have received from the selected startups. With support from our esteemed partners and dedicated mentors, we have been witnessing an increasing demand to join our valuable program. I am confident of the ability of this cohort in reshaping the future of sports not only in Qatar, but on the global scale”. 

Mohammad Malkawi, the Co-Founder and CEO of Armony, commented, “With major sports events coming up in Qatar, it’s no secret that many sportstech companies in the world are doing all they can to establish a base there and sign partnerships with stakeholders in the industry. As a sportstech focused on football, being part of QST offers a great opportunity that we are determined to seize. We have identified the exact objectives we want to achieve, which include signing partnership agreements with local stakeholders, fine tuning our business, and using the program as a launchpad for our new product.”

Startups participating in QST’s Accelerator Program have the opportunity to engage in specialized workshops hosted by international experts; one-on-one mentoring sessions with more than 250 industry specialists and partner and mentor support from world-class professionals and global leaders in sportstech. During the program, accelerated startups will also have the opportunity to work closely with key players driving Qatar’s sports and entrepreneurial ecosystems, including QST’s founding partner and strategic partners.