BELFAST sports tech firm Kairos has been accepted onto an exclusive US accelerator programme in a boost to its Stateside ambitions.
The tech firm’s platform is already used by elite sports teams and athletes to manage all aspects of their schedules and provide reliable communication channels.
But the three-month Techstars Sports Accelerator will now provide Kairos with access to high level executives from top US leagues such as the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB.
The company, which was up in 2018 by former Irish rugby international Andrew Trimble and Belfast-based entrepreneur, Gareth Quinn, will also get the chance to showcase their technology to around 500 investors from around the world.
It marks the latest phase in its expansion journey for Kairos, which closed £1.5 million in investment in early 2021 following a number of significant product releases and extensive engagement with its customers across the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada and the US.
“Over the past 18 months we have developed the platform to be the most complete solution on the market and have already onboarded some of the biggest sporting names in Europe,” said Andrew Trimble.
“We are both proud and excited to be part of the 2021 Techstars cohort and confident that this incredible opportunity will help us to continue growing at significant pace in the coming months and years.”
Jordan Fliegal, managing director at Techstars, explained the significance of the programme.
“The Techstars Sports Accelerator, powered by Indy, leverages our unique relationship with the leading sports properties in Indy (Pacers Sports & Entertainment, NCAA, Indiana Sports Corp, Indianapolis Colts and IMS/Indy 500), and incredible group of 150+ mentors, who are leaders in the sports, tech and venture communities, to back and support top startups from around the world that are innovating in the broadly defined sports space.”
He continued: “In finalising this year’s class, we continued our global search for the best founders - with tremendous determination and vision - and teams working on the most timely and exciting subcategories within the overall sports and fitness ecosystems.
“We are thrilled to have Kairos in our 2021 class, and proud of the strong progress they have made already in the short time we have worked together,” said Mr Fliegal.
“Kairos is innovating in their space with dozens of clients already, by providing a valuable communication app that helps sports teams stay better connected and informed, so that the players can focus on what really matters - their performance on the field and court.”
