Business & Tech

ASU Athletics Launches 2nd Annual Venture Challenge

The department, with the aid of two university institutes, will select and support startups, whose products will be used within ASU sports.

The Arizona State Athletic Department has announced the Second Annual Sun Devils Athletics' Venture Challenge, where startups will be selected and their new concepts will be launched, piloted and scaled at various ASU athletic facilities.
The Arizona State Athletic Department has announced the Second Annual Sun Devils Athletics' Venture Challenge, where startups will be selected and their new concepts will be launched, piloted and scaled at various ASU athletic facilities. (Google Maps )

TEMPE, AZ β€”The Arizona State Athletic Department announced Friday that it will be partnering with two university institutes to sponsor the Second Annual Sun Devils Athletics' Venture Challenge.

The organizers of this year's challenge will select and support multiple athletics-related startups, whose new and innovative sports concepts will be launched, piloted and scaled at Sun Devil Athletics' various facilities.

The challenge is done in connection with the university's Global Sports Institute, which studies issues facing modern sports, and the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, which, according to its website, helps propel entrepreneurial aspirations.

Find out what's happening in Tempefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Those institutes will supply the winner or winners of the Venture Challenge with promotional resources, mentorship, and awards of up to $25,000, according to organizers.

Sun Devils Athletics will be selecting the winner or winners of the challenge and said it will be looking for startups with products in areas like: venue innovation, immersive technology, fan engagement, athlete training and performance sustainability, name, image and likeness (NIL), data analytics and community relations/social impact.

Find out what's happening in Tempefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Applications are open until April 1st, and the challenge will culminate with a hybrid live/virtual pitch competition in late April.

"ASU's Global Sport Institute and J Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute are excited to expand upon our partnership with Sun Devil Athletics," said Jeff Kunowski, associate director of innovation programs at the Global Sport Institute. "Our inaugural competition was a resounding success, and we look forward to evaluating a new group of startups as we kick off year two of this exciting initiative."

Last year, three emerging startups were chosen to receive funding and mentorship from the Global Sport Institute, along with the opportunity to have Sun Devil athletes beta-test their products. They were:

  • Organic Robotics Corporation: Took home the top prize for its wearable Light Lace sensors that help keep athletes safe and at the top of their game using photonics to track biometric information such as muscle fatigue and respiratory levels.
  • Nextiles: Earned second place for its fabric-embedded circuitry that captures an athlete's range of motion and joint power.
  • Phlex: Took third place for its goggle-worn training tracker for swimmers that provides details like heart rate and stroke analysis.

"We're proud to have played a part in the development and growth of three emerging startups thanks to our partnership with the Global Sport Institute and the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute," said Arizona State Athletic Director Ray Anderson. "As one of the largest universities in the U.S. and a national hub for innovation, we look forward to the expansion of our GSI and Edson E+I partnership to include the use of our facilities as the next generation of great minds explore innovative sport concepts on our campus."

Those interested in applying as part of the Second Annual Sun Devils Athletics' Venture Challenge can learn more on the challenge's website.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.