10 innovative startups specializing in the sportstech industry from 8 countries will be accelerated as part of QST’s award-winning Accelerator Program

Finalists include 2 startups selected from QST’s EntelaQ Pre-Accelerator Program, the hub’s newest program that aims to develop the sports and entrepreneurial ecosystem in Qatar and prepare entrepreneurs for the Accelerator Program, by helping them build their idea and gain traction

Doha, 12 April 2021: Qatar SportsTech (QST), a leading startup accelerator and hub for pioneering sportstech companies, has announced the launch of the fourth cohort of its highly acclaimed Accelerator Program.

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

Ten innovative startups will take part in QST’s intensive three-month Accelerator Program, that will run until June 2021, where they will receive the required support to 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 selected startups include Ai Abacus, BBox Sports, ComeTogether, Field of Vision, Juego Sports, Navbuddy, NSAtech, Sentio Sports, Stable Innovations, and StretchSkin. Amongst the finalists, QST selected 2 sportstech startups, Juego Sports and Navbuddy, out of 7 startups who have successfully completed the 1st cohort of the EntelaQ Pre-Accelerator Program. 

Their innovations comprise an artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool to predict football talent, an augmented reality (AR)-based fan engagement platform, a blockchain-based ticketing ecosystem that prevents fraud, an AI-based handheld device to help visually impaired sports fans experience live matches, an app to help amateur footballers get scouted globally, an in-stadium navigation app, an AI-based solution to compare amateur sports players’ performance with elite players, an AI-based wearable that supports injury prevention, a data-driven horse fitness tracker, and a smart physical rehabilitation solution that uses sensors.

EntelaQ, which aims to foster the local ecosystem, acts as a steppingstone for QST’s highly anticipated Accelerator program. The Accelerator Program helps already established sportstech entrepreneurs and companies from around the world to solidify their potential, meet new investors and conquer new markets globally.

Seven Qatar-based sportstech startups successfully completed the first cohort of EntelaQ including Elaab, Laeb, Offside Detector, Navbuddy, Juego Sports, MyGame Stats, and Erytus where they had the opportunity to take part in a series of specialist workshops, and one-on-one mentoring sessions to help fine tune their strategies and officially launch their startups.

Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al Mannai, the Executive Director of Advisory and Incubation of QDB, said: “I would like to congratulate all the successful startups who have demonstrated their leadership in innovation and commitment to transforming the sports industry. This is a landmark opportunity for them to showcase their innovations ahead of the 2022 World Cup and reap the benefits of a myriad of opportunities that this world-class event will provide for them. Thanks to the continuous support of all QST partners, the Accelerator Program contributed greatly to the development of Qatar’s sportstech ecosystem. We are confident that despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, we will continue to elevate the country’s sportstech industry, accelerating more innovations to the benefit of both local and global sports communities”.

Heba Qadri Almasri, Managing Director of QST, also said: “We are excited to have welcomed these top 10 entrepreneurs to our high-caliber Accelerator Program. The finalists will join 35 alumni, who have been able with QST’s extensive support to raise major investments and work with international brands and organizations to date. With the launch of the Accelerator Program’s fourth cohort, QST reaffirms its commitment to fostering the national sportstech ecosystem and attracting global talents to Qatar, who will have a contribution in reshaping the sports industry locally and globally.”

Mohammad Al Saffar, the Co-Founder and CEO of Navbuddy, commented on this milestone by saying, 'We started our journey by winning the QST Hackathon 2019. NavBuddy credits it success to the experienced mentors that were present throughout our journey at the hackathon, the EntelaQ Program and the amazing QST team who showed immense believe in us and guided us to make the right decisions at each step in our journey.'

The 12-week Accelerator Program will engage entrepreneurs in a series of specialized workshops, providing one-on-one mentoring sessions with QST’s program managers, international specialists and global mentor network. QST’s partnerships with key players in the sports and entrepreneurship industries is vital to support the entrepreneurs’ development.

A Demo Day will be held in June 2021 to wrap up the 4th Cohort, where each of the 10 startups will showcase their innovations to QST’s partners and global investor network.