In arguably the most impressive victory in the sports tech startup’s short history, MatchKit, which is dedicated to athlete brand building and financial fitness, was honoured with the Startup of the Year award at the recent 2023 Sports Technology Awards, held in Manhattan, New York.
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The 10th Sports Technology Awards, presented in association with NBC Sports Next, and saw some of the biggest brands in global sport convene to see who would secure the coveted trophies in the ‘Oscars of Sports Technology’. Other noteworthy brands that joined MatchKit on the winning podium included NBA, Apple, Warner Bros. Discovery, World Athletics and the ICC.
MatchKit co-founder Mike Sharman, who accepted the award in person, says that unlocking commercial opportunities for the global community of marginalised and ‘Cinderella Sports’ athletes has been a dream for the team co-founded by Bryan Habana, Shaka Sisulu, Ben Karpinski and Carli Schoeman, since the platform went live in the midst of the COVID pandemic.
‘Our tech has been used to power SA Hockey to the Tokyo Olympic Games, it was the vehicle for a movement to reward our Olympic medalists with more than R400,000 in less than a week when the Sports Ministry said its commercial coffers were empty, and more recently James Gerber has used our platform to put a young man through high school. To be rated as the best Startup of the Year, amongst the most cutting-edge technology and business solutions that the sports world has to offer, is absolutely unreal.’
He adds, ‘The MatchKit team has worked tirelessly to get to this point, and I wholeheartedly believe that this award is a stepping stone for our global ambitions. Our platform and the services offered will only get better from here.’
Since its launch in 2020, MatchKit has achieved the following:
- Attracted over 2 500 athletes to its platform.
- Engaged athletes with a combined global fan base of 9.1 million or more.
- Facilitated crowdfunding campaigns that raised over R3.4 million for athletes in need.
Here are two case studies highlighting MatchKit’s impact on SA Hockey and SA Olympic medal bonuses.
Watch:
MatchKit SA Hockey Tokyo 2020 Crowdfund case study
The Sports Technology Awards is the premier global celebration of technological innovation in sports and is often referred to as the ‘Oscars of Sports Technology.’ and is recognised as the leading international standard for excellence in technological advancements in sports on a global scale.
Founded in 2013, The awards evolve each year to reflect the important factors influencing every facet of sports.
The annual awards cycle commences with the opening of entries in September. A distinguished panel of over 50 industry experts serves as judges, meticulously reviewing all submissions. In February, the shortlist of successful brands is unveiled with the highly anticipated awards ceremony taking place in May each year.
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