European Platform for Sport Innovation

𝗘𝗣𝗦𝗜 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: Let’s not mess about!

Four selected startups will take the stage at the EPSI Annual Conference 2026 in Greece, competing through a two-round challenge combining expert evaluation, public voting (by attendees) and live demonstrations.

🇫🇷 ODIHO-Sound In Silence
🇨🇭 BLOCKSPORT
🇨🇭 Bioloopers
🇧🇪 YouTopia Sports

How will it work?

Round 1 – Pitch Session
Each startup will present its innovation to the audience. The pitches will be evaluated through a combination of public voting and our expert jury’s evaluation. The three highest-scoring startups will move to the final.

Round 2 – Live Product Demo
The three finalists will have 5 minutes to demonstrate their product or solution live — moving beyond the slides and showing their innovation in action.

🎤 Moderator: Francesca Passeri, Head of Business Department at EPSI.

🏆 The winner will receive a package of opportunities with a total commercial value of more than €5,000, including free EPSI Membership for 2027, participation in the Sport Master Programme by 28DIGITAL, and preferential access to EPSI partner fairs and industry events throughout 2027.

EPSI selected these innovative companies after an initial detailed business analysis, and we now think they have the potential to convince investors and take the market by storm.

Who will make it to the final? Come to the EPSI AC2026 and judge for yourself!

At EPSI, our Business Department works directly with sports startups, SMEs, companies and entrepreneurs to turn ideas into viable businesses, open new markets and connect the right people to unlock opportunities.

Over the past year:
💰 €50K in business services delivered to our members
📈 €100K in investments reached by startups supported through our network
🌎 +15 thematic and geographical partners fostering cooperation with key stakeholders and creating new opportunities, including initiatives such as the Sports Master by 28DIGITAL, EPSI and EBAN Sports
💶 +10 investor partners actively supporting our network and its potential to bring new solutions to the European sports market

But the numbers are only part of the story.

Our business support covers the key steps of the sports tech growth journey:
→ Business planning: tailored business plans, viability assessment and strategic development
→ Go-to-market: market research, competitor benchmarking, market entry and scalability strategies
→ Financial planning: financial projections, pricing strategies and funding plans
→ Business development: proactive introductions to investors, sponsors, partners and potential clients
→ Investment readiness: connecting startups with VCs, angel investors and other sources of capital
→ Internationalisation & partnerships: opening doors to new markets through EPSI's European and international network

And because EPSI members get preferential pricing on our business services, your membership can directly support your company's next stage of growth.
If you're an EPSI member with a product to scale, a market to enter, capital to raise or partnerships to build, our Business Department can help you take the next step.

Contact Francesca Passeri or send an email to [email protected]

🔗 https://lnkd.in/etYSTZmp

What does it take to secure investment, scale sustainably, and create long-term value?

The next Sports Master speaker lineup brings together experienced investors, advisors, and entrepreneurs who have supported thousands of founders across Europe and beyond.

Their expertise spans venture capital, angel investing, fundraising readiness, business growth, market expansion, and exit strategies. Participants will gain practical insights into how investors think, how successful companies are built, and how founders can position themselves for long-term success.

If fundraising and growth are part of your journey, you won’t want to miss these sessions

- Audra Elena Shallal Shallal – Investor, entrepreneur and EBAN Sports co-founder | Global expert in entrepreneurship, innovation and startups.
- Jari Mieskonen – Venture capital leader | 120+ investments across the Nordics and Baltics.
- Daniel Kulig – Startup mentor & investor | Supported 1,000+ founders in growth, fundraising and exits.

Meet the experts of 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟏 (𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭. 𝟐𝟑𝐫𝐝) of the EPSI AC2026

🇪🇸 Nicolás M. Battaglia Diaz
Managing Director of the ADESP - Asociación del Deporte Español

🎤 Sports and Health Innovation Accelerator (SHIA project)
With 16 years of experience in sport, Nicolás leads strategy, innovation and digital transformation across an organisation representing 67 Spanish national sports federations. At EPSI AC2026, he will introduce SHIA – Sports and Health Innovation Accelerator, an Erasmus+ project connecting research, education, startups, industry and policymakers to transform knowledge into market-ready solutions.

🇪🇺 Jan Debets
Head of Business Development & Partnerships, META Group

🎤 European innovation & business opportunities
Based in Brussels, Jan works at the intersection of research, business development and investment. Through META Group's Research Angels approach, he helps research teams turn ideas and knowledge into real-world applications and has extensive experience in venture capital and European business angel networks.

💡 Two speakers. Two perspectives. One common goal: turning innovation into opportunities. Meet them in Piraeus.

Registration will close next month! 🔗 https://www.epsi.eu/event/epsi-annual-conference-2026/

Strong ideas become reality 💙💛

𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹, EPSI's first Erasmus+ Sport Capacity Building project, has been awarded funding!

The project will use sport to promote the mental wellbeing, resilience and social inclusion of young people affected by the war in Ukraine, reaching at least 500 young people and strengthening the capacity of 50 sport professionals and 10 Ukrainian sport organisations.

The consortium – EPSI, Symplexis, Kateryna Biloruska Foundation, United by Sport, Kyiv Students Football Association and the Ukrainian Badminton Federation – strongly believed in the project idea and worked together to develop a proposal with the potential to create meaningful impact.

Full news here: 🔗 https://www.epsi.eu/sportsheal-epsi-will-lead-its-first-erasmus-sport-capacity-building-project-to-help-ukrainians/

And SportsHeal is not the only good news.

🔹 We are now waiting for the next Erasmus+ Sport results, expected at the end of August, with several proposals involving our members.

🔹 EXACT – Explainable AI for Closed-Loop Adaptive Textile Manufacturing, a Horizon Europe proposal, has successfully reached the second and final phase of its journey towards the grant.

These developments underline something important: fundraising remains a fundamental pillar of EPSI's activity and of the work of our members.

Year after year, competition is getting stronger. But our members keep investing time, expertise and commitment into developing ideas that can create real impact.

And EPSI is here to support them along the way.

👉 Do you have an idea for a European project? Submit your proposal through the MoZ or talk about it with our Deputy Director Sebastiano Lommi.

Meet the experts helping founders turn ambition into scalable sports tech businesses.

Sports Master brings together some of the brightest minds in entrepreneurship, innovation, investment, and sports business. In this first speaker spotlight, we’re proud to introduce four experts who have mentored hundreds of startups, led innovation at major international organisations, and helped founders navigate growth, fundraising, and market expansion.

From startup acceleration and business strategy to innovation at Paris 2024 and global sport-tech ecosystems, these speakers will share practical insights drawn from decades of hands-on experience.

Join Sports Master and learn directly from the people shaping the future of sports innovation: https://lnkd.in/dHF4vibw

- Denes Csiszarár – Startup mentor & accelerator leader | Mentored 250+ startups and board member of HUNBAN.
- Juan Fuentes Fernández – Director, GSIC Powered by Microsoft Testing Lab | Global sport innovation and investment ecosystem leader.
- Tomas Pulido – Startup strategist & angel investor | Expert in go-to-market and fundraising for deep-tech ventures.

We are already more than halfway through 2026, and we're looking back at the feedback that continues to shape EPSI.

Earlier this year, our members shared their views through the 2026 Satisfaction Survey. Their responses confirm what makes our community strong—and motivate us to keep improving every day.

Here are some highlights:
📈 81% would absolutely recommend EPSI Membership.
⭐ 90% rated our services 6 or 7 out of 7.
🤝 81% rated the EPSI network 6 or 7 out of 7.
🌍 55% have already experienced an EPSI Annual Conference.

Thank you to every member who shared their feedback. Together, we're building a stronger European sport innovation community. Don't miss the opportunity to gather all together very soon 🧡 Get the tickets for the EPSI Annual Conference before they sell out 👉 https://www.epsi.eu/event/epsi-annual-conference-2026/

What if the best ideas didn't come (only) from another conference room?

Last year in Rovaniemi, the EPSI Annual Conference brought sport innovation to unexpected places:
🧗 We discussed project ideas barefoot after a yoga session at a climbing centre
🔥 We strengthened partnerships during an evening sauna, sharing ideas around a campfire
🏅 We explored new business opportunities inside one of the world's most innovative Olympic training centres

Because the best collaborations happen when people genuinely connect.

This September, we're bringing the same spirit to Piraeus, Greece. Expect interactive networking, hands-on project development, EU funding opportunities and unforgettable experiences, including a full-day cruise!

Don't just attend a conference. Be part of a community that creates opportunities together.

📍 Piraeus, Greece | 23–25 September 2026
🔗 https://www.epsi.eu/event/epsi-annual-conference-2026/

Olympiacos FC Olympiacos B.C.

Voices for our participants 🎤 Evelien De Pauw | VIVES University of Applied Sciences

What are you waiting for? Get your tickets before they sell out and reserve your seat 👉 https://www.epsi.eu/event/epsi-annual-conference-2026/

🚀 Innovation will be live at the EPSI stand during RiminiWellness 2026.

Throughout the event, visitors will have the opportunity to discover and test technologies developed by Ondapulsante and Performa — two companies working on the future of sport performance, wellbeing and cognitive training.

🔹 Ondafit IMBODY combines smart resistance, real-time coaching and intelligent training optimisation.

🔹 Performa uses applied neuroscience and immersive technology to make cognitive performance measurable and trainable.

📍 Visit EPSI at the Fitness Innovation Area – Hall B3
📅 May 28th – 31st

Come and experience the future of sport innovation.