The SSAC Startup Competition & Trade Show showcases innovation in sports-related technologies, products, and services. Selected companies will pitch to esteemed industry experts, potential customers, business partners, and investors.
Successful prior participants include: Noah Basketball, Perch, Proteus Motion, and ShotTracker. Their exposure at SSAC led to credibility and supported raising larger funding rounds.
Applications for the 2025 SSAC Startup Competition & Trade Show are now live!
Startups of all sizes in the fields of sports-related technologies, products, and services are invited to apply. For all startups selected to continue into the final round of the competition (taking place March 7-8, 2025 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston, MA), the following rules apply:
In order to participate in the Startup Competition & Trade Show, companies must meet the following criteria:
Answers to frequently asked questions about the Startup Competition & Trade Show can be found in the FAQs Tab. If you have any additional questions about the Startup Competition & Trade Show, please reach out to tradeshow@sloansportsconference.com.
The 2025 SSAC Startup Competition & Trade Show will take place on March 7-8, 2025 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston, MA.
Trade Show Booth: Each participating startup will have a booth to showcase its product or service to conference attendees.
Startup Competition: Each startup will have 15 minutes to pitch to our judging panel of industry experts and investors. The 15 minutes will also include time for Q&A. Startups should explain how their companies are revolutionizing the sports industry.
In order to participate in the Startup Competition & Trade Show, companies must meet the following general criteria:
(1) Have not raised over $15 million, as of date of conference (March 7, 2025)
(2) Have never won the SSAC Startup Competition & Trade Show before
(3) Founders of the applying company retain some portion of ownership in the company
Startups will pay the entry fee to participate ($1,500). Your company will receive two (2) presenter tickets, and a booth along a main corridor of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center as part of the entry fee.
The Trade Show is a valuable networking and business development opportunity for all startup participants. Stakeholders from across the sports industry such as investors, corporate sponsors, media companies, professional athletes, general managers, customers, and more will be among conference attendees. Winners of the Startup Competition, as determined by our panel of judges, will be awarded a prize to be announced.
The SSAC committee will distribute additional Trade Show Booth guidelines to participants.
Yes, SSAC is on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Once payment is confirmed, SSAC will be able to engage with your startup (e.g., follow, retweet) on social media. Therefore, we recommend any public disclosure of your organization’s attendance to be announced after the payment confirmation.
$500K or more in funding
Less than $500K in funding
Applications for the 2025 Startup Competition are now live!
Please fill out the google form here: SSAC 2025 Startup Competition Application - Google Forms
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