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Digital Entrepreneurship in Sports: former professional athletes present 4 projects to innovate in sport business

Published

5 years ago

July 9, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The entrepreneurial ideas that have been elaborated during the training program powered by SKS365 were showed to the public in the HUB of LVenture Group

A marketplace for sponsorships, an on-demand physiotherapy platform, a corporate placement network for athletes and an app that optimizes the experience of sports tourism are the four projects that see the light at the end of the training course Digital & Entrepreneurship in Sports.

The project, powered by SKS365 and LVenture Group, a listed VC operator among the main startup accelerators at the European level, took place in the first half of 2021 with the goal of meeting the needs of many former professional sportsmen and women. Most of them, in fact, find it difficult to reintroduce themselves into the job market once they finish their sports career. The challenge is to integrate the soft skills developed as athletes (competitive approach, goal-oriented mindset, team spirit) with technical skills allowing them to be successful in one of the sectors with more future perspectives: the digital economy.

“Training is one of the key values of our Corporate Identity, and sport represents the universe in which we operate and that we want to contribute to developing a more systematic and functional way, especially in these unprecedented times due to the pandemic – commented Brian Dean, SKS365 Chief People Officer – We are therefore very happy to have contributed to the reskilling process of the former professional athletes who took part in the training program. From the very beginning, we were pleasantly impressed by the spirit of initiative and entrepreneurship that the class has shown. The projects presented today are concrete proof of the commitment, the proactive approach, the great team work and skills that the former sportsmen have developed during this journey with us. They also prove the ex-athletes’ capability to turn an idea into a successful business project.”

The athletes who took part in this first edition of Digital & Entrepreneurship in Sports were divided into teams to work on four projects that were presented in Rome, at LVenture Group’s HUB.

Sponsorboom is the project presented by Andrea Fontanella, Carlotta Oggioni, Giulia Paolillo, Luca Alpozzi and Sonja Percan, with the aim of bridging the gap between the offer and the demand for sponsorship in the sports environment. Andrea Coronica, currently a basketball player at Allianz Trieste, presented Morbin, along with the team made up of Manuel Pascali, Stefano Bossi, Stephen Makinwa and Coronica himself. It is an app dedicated to personalized training and rehabilitation with a science-based approach. Another app has been developed by Giulio Alberto Silva, Marco Ponteri, Nicola Sesto and Rabia Jendoubi: Travel Sport is dedicated to supporting travel and tourism linked to sports events. The fourth project is called Sport2Work, developed by Andrea Radin, Daniele Postiglioni, Giorgio Barbareschi and Lara Peyrot. The team has presented a customized platform to define the best training path for athletes, based on their soft skills and providing them tutoring and mentoring courses as well as online training and internships in companies.

“This program gave the opportunity to explore the connections between sport and digital economy, enrichingus with a new point of view, that of the participants, highly qualified thanks to their great experience in the sport sector. The projects which have been developed thanks to the collaboration with the SKS365 Training Program, the work of our Open Innovation team and the mentors involved, respond to the new needs of various stakeholders in the sports industry. This confirm show digital can open up new training, professional and business growth scenarios in a sector that is more and more oriented to innovation”, said Antonella Zullo, Head of Open Innovation at LVenture Group.

The final event, directed by the sports journalist Giulia Mizzoni, was also an opportunity to discuss the new scenario of the digital economy for the sport industry. Among the panelists, there was also Paolo Carito, Executive Manager and Visiting Professor in Sport Management, Andrea Bellamio, CEO of Mister Calcio and Mandarino Adv, Stefano Gobbi, Senior Program Manager Sport e Salute and Matteo Musa, CEO of Fitprime.

eSports

Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028

Published

8 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-foundation-names-faker-game-ambassador-for-ewc-and-enc-through-2028

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in the Esports Foundation’s Ambassador Program.

The Esports Foundation (EF) has appointed Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok as a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028, the organization said on July 15, 2026 in a statement issued from Riyadh and Paris.

EF said Faker joins Cristiano Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation’s Global Ambassador, and Magnus Carlsen as part of the Esports Foundation Ambassador Program. The Foundation said Faker will represent “the perspective of esports players” across its international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.

“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” said Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation. “As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.”

Faker said: “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide. Through the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup and the Foundation’s wider platforms, I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue excellence, remain resilient and believe in how far competitive gaming can take them. There is still much more to achieve.”

EF highlighted Faker’s competitive record, describing him as a six-time League of Legends World Champion, EWC 2024 winner, two-time MSI champion and ten-time domestic champion with T1. The Foundation also said Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal in 2026, describing it as the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honor awarded by President Lee Jae-myung.

The post Esports Foundation names Faker Game Ambassador for EWC and ENC through 2028 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brand Partnerships

Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season

Published

15 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-signs-as-middlesbrough-fc-principal-partner-for-2026/27-season

Midnite has agreed a partnership with Middlesbrough FC that will see the UK bookmaker become the club’s principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 campaign, which Middlesbrough describes as its landmark 150th season.

The companies announced the deal alongside a fan activation at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9, branded “This Season’s On Us”. The initiative offered supporters prizes including 2026/27 season tickets, 2026/27 shirts, match tickets, or a £25 club shop voucher, with fans required to answer Middlesbrough trivia and complete a football challenge.

Middlesbrough former players Craig Hignett and David Wheater attended the event, and, according to the company, took bonus attempts on behalf of participants who missed out.

Andrew Mook, Midnite’s Head of Brand Marketing, said:

“Middlesbrough have a storied history and we’re delighted to announce this partnership during such a monumental year with the club celebrating their 150th anniversary.

“It was great to see so many Middlesbrough fans at the “This Season’s On Us” activation, we hope they enjoyed taking part and meeting club legends, with David Wheater hitting top bins on several occasions and allowing fans to win big with season tickets.

“We can’t wait to get to Riverside Stadium in August to kick-off a new season and we’re excited to say that we have plenty of new and captivating campaigns planned.”

Lee Fryett, Middlesbrough FC Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Midnite as our new Principal Partner.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Midnite to develop engaging campaigns, content and unique experiences that bring our fans even closer to the club.

“We’re confident this partnership will provide real value for our supporters while supporting our ambitions both on and off the pitch.”

The post Midnite signs as Middlesbrough FC principal partner for 2026/27 season appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGCO

ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch

Published

15 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

thrilltech-secures-agco-supplier-licence-for-ontario-launch

ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.

The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.

Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”

The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.

ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.

The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.