Top sports technology entrepreneurs flock to Indianapolis for nation-leading summit

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Jordan Fliegel is making a profession of out hustling the competitors. 

A former skilled basketball participant abroad, Fliegel returned stateside and based two wildly profitable companies together with teaming up with NBA celebrity Stephen Curry to guide CoachUp.com, a venture-funded startup firm that connects athletes with non-public coaches. 

The Boston-area native now calls Indianapolis house, main two of the world’s top-performing startup accelerators together with Techstars Sports activities Accelerator Powered by Indy which invests and develops in startup companies within the sports activities know-how house. 

“Techstars within the worldwide community that helps entrepreneurs succeed,” Fliegel stated. “We try this by working a ton of accelerator packages all around the globe the place we spend money on corporations, we spend three months along with them, join them with a whole bunch of mentors, and traders, and assist them put together all of their supplies to lift cash.” 

“We assist them rent, assist them determine the technique of their enterprise, after which we ship them off in a world and assist them for years to come back alongside the way in which.”

In simply 4 years, over forty world corporations have been created with the backing of Techstars Sports activities, rising Fliegel’s investing portfolio to over 200 startups. 

Since mid-march of this yr, 13 startups from across the globe have lived in downtown Indianapolis, figuring out of Excessive Alpha’s headquarters alongside enterprise mentors from throughout town. 

“The thought was how can we take Indianapolis’ sports activities DNA and merge that with the very fact that is an rising tech hub, and marry that collectively to be the house of sports activities tech?” Fliegel stated. “If that’s the thought, what’s a greater solution to do it than have a sports activities tech accelerator right here the place we carry corporations from around the globe which are within the sports activities enterprise to get off the bottom right here, elevate cash right here and develop right here?”

With the backing of the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers, Indiana Sports activities Corp, and NCAA every enterprise is nearing completion of a busy 13-week program which culminates this coming Thursday, July 7 with Techstars Sports activities Demo Day.

This yr, along with pitching their enterprise plans to a whole bunch of traders, the nation’s high sports activities know-how convention, One-Zero, is hosted in Indianapolis, multiplying the publicity for the category of 2022 startups. Right here is extra info on easy methods to attend subsequent week’s summit. 

“It’s more durable to get into Techstars than Ivy League Colleges,” Fliegel stated. “It’s a low, single-digit share of corporations that apply, that get in. We’re on the lookout for tenacious founders which are keen to place all of it on the road for his or her firm, keep it up by means of all of the ups and downs and attempt to construct a giant enterprise.”

This yr’s Techstars sports activities class is stacked with next-generation concepts in fantasy sports activities, sports activities playing, digital ticketing, and the health business. 

For an entire listing of the brand new corporations, together with one birthed right here in Indianapolis, click on right here.

Since shifting to Indianapolis in 2019, Fliegel has witnessed Hoosier hospitality firsthand as Techstars has grown.

“I’ve simply been blown away by how supportive all of our companions are, who put up capital, who spend their time with us,” Fliegel stated. “Simply yesterday, for instance, we met with the Pacers they usually gave out jerseys to every of our founders with the corporate identify on the again of the jersey.”

“This wouldn’t occur in Boston or New York Metropolis. You wouldn’t get that sort of consideration as an early-stage firm from large corporations just like the Pacers, the Colts, and the NCAA. (Excessive Alpha CEO) Scott

Dorsey is by some means specifically that’s in some ways the godfather in thoughts of Indy tech. I’m working intently with him, Steve Simon who’s an energetic investor along with a co-owner of the Pacers.

These guys have actually helped us (Techstars) construct an incredible community,” Fliegel stated.