For twelve weeks Sweden’s Olympic Academy (SOA) and the international organization HYPE Sports Innovation have conducted Spin Accelerator Sweden, a program focusing on sports technology innovation. SOA is a foundation established by Sweden’s Olympic Committee, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, the Karolinska Institute, and the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE). 

Ten promising sports technology companies participated this spring in the program. They have been coached under a program designed by KTH Innovation and SSE’s Center for Sports and Business, and have also been connected to a global network of sports technology companies. 

The accelerator program was designed to give promising sports technology startups the right network, knowledge and tools to enable them to become global success stories. For twelve weeks the companies met online and in person in Stockholm. They exchanged experiences with each other and with experts in their respective areas and received both group and individual coaching.

The program was built around the strengths in HYPE’s international network, in the contacts and expertise from SSE’s Center for Sports and Business, and KTH Innovation’s tools and long experience of work with early-phase technology startups. 

This competitive program concluded on June 25 at SSE, and after all the startups had pitched to the jury, horse-tech Equilab was judged the winner. This Gothenburg-based company helps riders improve horse training with an app that can measure training duration, as well as gait and speed. They currently have 450,000 users worldwide, and steadily increasing. 

“It’s fantastic having our efforts validated as important contributions, and having our company’s potential recognized,” says Simon Bengtsson, Equilab’s CTO. “It has been extremely valuable to obtain new insights together with the other companies in the program, and hear others talk about the journeys their companies are making.” 

Equilab’s award includes participation in a global technology event, including travel costs. JustFootball won the honorable mention for its mobile game that gets young people out and moving, and earned the privilege of presenting at SMASH, a large startup event in Finland this fall. 

It was clear on Monday that there is a lot going on within sports technology, as specially invited guests listened to presentations on everything from optimizing nutritional intakes for elite athletes, to how Swedish soccer uses video analysis to provide new opportunities for both spectators and trainers. 

“The fact that Swedish sports technology is hot isn’t a coincidence,” says Lisa Ericsson, head of KTH Innovation. “Sweden has always punched above its weight when it comes to both sport and innovation. We have launched tech companies that made it big internationally, and we have achieved success against tough competition. Combining Stockholm’s strong innovation system and academic power with an international network has been a success, and we are proud of our participation in this program.”

The companies participating in SPIN Accelerator Sweden work in widely differing sports and have different challenges, but the common denominator is that they help individuals perform better and get a better experience from their sport. Users range from daily exercisers who want to practice golf without incurring elbow pain, to marathon runners who want to see how far they are from their nearest competitors.

Now that the program is over, the participants can still make use of each other and the international network of thousands of startups and investors that past participants have access to, through HYPE Sports Innovation. 

“HYPE was looking for a partner in the Nordic countries that could combine entrepreneurship with a solid base in sports and education, and that were experienced in supporting and building startups,” says Yariv Barak, Global Director, HYPE. “We made the right choice in our cooperation with Sweden’s Olympic Academy.” 

The program was carried out with support from Vinnova, Sweden’s Innovation Agency. 

The following ten companies participated in SPIN Accelerator Sweden:

AI Spotter

AI Spotter has developed a rapid, time-saving service for coaches around the world. Their goal is to combine high-tech with all types of sports. Real-time analyses gives coaches and their teams the power to stay one step ahead.

JustFootball

Real football, virtual careers. JustFootball is a mobile game that will inspire players to play football [soccer] for real.

RideQ

RideQ is a horse-tech company helping riders improve their posture and positioning with a new digital tool that can be used while riding, with or without a trainer.

Kinexit

Kinexit is an IT solution delivering personally tailored physical training straight to cellphones. A completely personal profile built on self-assessment continually guides the shape of the training program. Physical restrictions are identified, which lead automatically to a large number of personally designed training exercises for rapid improvement.

Straffr

Staffr has developed and re-invented the resistance band. A portable gym for your sports bag and a personal trainer in your pocket.

StepUp Air

StepUp Air is developing a new generation activity band, which analyzes your breathing patters and heartrate in real time, so that you know how your body is really feeling.

Hooves

The Hooves app helps you plan and log every activity involving your horse, and keeps your team updated. Organize yourself with Hooves, so you can concentrate on what’s really important.

Race.se

Race.se gathers all of Sweden’s races – whether running, biking, swimming or skiing –  in a single place. You can search for a race, gather your favorites and share your coming challenges.

BodyBarista

BodyBarista is an app for checking your measurements and monitoring how your body changes when following a fitness plan. Based on photos you take with your iPhone, you get exact measurements of your muscle groups (cm or inches), with higher precision than you get from your scale, and can compare muscle strength and fat content over time.

Equilab

This equestrian sports app being used by over 450,000  riders. Equilab automatically logs your training and enables measurements at every moment. Increase your insights and understand your own development.

Contact

Program coordinator Stina Lundgren Högbom, spinacceleratorsweden@hhs.se