In May, we asked ‘is sports tech the new frontier?‘
As if to answer, the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) announced a new partnership with the WA Government this week to accelerate the development of Western Australia’s sports technology and innovation ecosystem.
ASTN, the peak body of Australia’s sportstech sector, was announced as a recipient of an X-TEND WA Program grant last week, funded by the New Industries Fund from the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
The grant will go towards ASTN’s Entrepreneurship Education Program which is designed to build capability and capacity of Western Australia’s innovation community by supporting entrepreneurs and stimulating private investment in innovative projects in WA.
Based in Brisbane, this program is being offered in WA for the first time.
Activities will include events, mentoring support for sports technology startups, online masterclasses and mapping of the WA sports tech ecosystem.
We are excited to be working with the Government of Western Australia to accelerate new and emerging sportstech businesses. This partnership mirrors the existing relationship we have with the Victorian and Queensland governments, further strengthening Australia’s overall ability to compete with sportstech businesses on a global scale.
Dr Martin Schlegel, Executive Chair of the ASTN
“ASTN will work closely with the local sportstech sector in Western Australia and the broader sports industry to build its capability and capacity through our proven programs and activities. This partnership will better enable connections between WA-based entrepreneurs and the established ecosystem on the eastern seaboard as well as to global markets,” said Dr Martin Schelegel, from ASTN.
The grant funding will support at least seven Western Australian sports technology startups to participate in ASTN’s Pre-Accelerator Program which is delivered in partnership with the Global Sports Innovation Center (GSIC) powered by Microsoft. The program fast-tracks knowledge and insights and more than 130 aspiring sports entrepreneurs from various backgrounds, including athletes, researchers, practitioners and sport administrators, have participated over the past two and a half years.
ASTN will kick off its schedule of activities under the X-TEND Program with an inaugural event at 5pm Tuesday 25 July at Town Hall at Riff, powered by Spacecubed, 45 St Georges Terrace, Perth.
For more information on the event and to RSVP visit: Accelerating the Australian Sportstech Ecosystem – Perth Cocktail Event
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