Pitch perfect! Southampton FC selects promising businesses to help shape the Future of Football

Over the last four weeks, Southampton FC has been running a virtual sprint programme for businesses to come and pitch their ideas for the Future of Football to the club’s commercial decision-makers.

The initiative attracted 260 teams from 45 countries, each hoping not only for a share of the £100,000 prize pool but also the potential to generate future value for the Saints as part of a new collaborative relationship.

Among the six finalists who arrived at St Mary’s for the finale were MLA, with a solution to identify and reduce the risk of injury on the pitch, and collectID, who pitched their ‘phygital’ merchandise which builds smartphone compatibility into fans’ jerseys.

Also present were Fanprime and their support-to-earn loyalty programme, as well as X-Plora, a multimedia fan experience combining AR and VR, AI, and Blockchain.

Club Chairman Henrik Kraft was joined on the judging panel by representatives from Sport Republic and Yolo Group, who together funded the prize pool.

He said: “Going into the final we knew that the playing field was tight from the progress the teams showcased in week three.

“Today, we really looked for the potential in these solutions for the club not just now, but down the line.”

And so, following a month of hands-on engagement with the club and much deliberation from the panel, the two winning businesses were finally selected to move forward and develop their prototype solutions – Atom Stars and Turfcoach.

Atom Stars

Atom Stars won over the judges with their virtual game experiences, targeted particularly at younger audiences.

Jérôme Dewavrin, CEO of Atom Stars, explained: “We revolutionise the way sport organisations and brands engage, especially with Gen Z fans, by providing off-the-shelf gamified tailored experiences in virtual environments, allowing brands to experiment at speed and embrace this fantastic new channel.”

Also partnering with the club is Turfcoach, which leverages AI for turf management through its smart digital platform and custom sensor. This should help reduce matchday injuries, as well as improving the lifetime and reducing maintenance costs of the pitch.

Turfcoach

Christian Theil, CEO of Turfcoach, added: “Throughout the program, we were able to interact with a variety of stakeholders at Southampton FC, including groundskeepers, estate managers, and the performance team.

“This collaborative approach enabled us to craft a tailored business proposal that was fortunately well-received.”

With these new faces on board, Saints are hoping to deliver a win for fans, management, and partners.

Director of Partnerships and Marketing Sarah Batters said: “It’s been fantastic to work with all the teams involved and to have such a diverse range of organisations.

“Both Atom Stars and Turfcoach really push the boundaries and are at the forefront of technology in different ways.

“We would like to congratulate them as the winners and we look forward to working more closely with them in the future.”

Southampton FC is also leading the way with a host of sustainable initiatives, which we covered last month.