List of Funded Sports Startups For 2026

📅 Last Updated: January 5, 2026 | New startups added weekly

Whether you’re researching funded sports startups in analytics, wearable fitness technology, or fan engagement platforms, our comprehensive database of recently funded sports startups has you covered.The sports technology sector is experiencing unprecedented growth as startups leverage AI, data analytics, and mobile technology to revolutionize how athletes train, fans engage, and organizations operate.

We collect startup funding data every week and currently have a comprehensive database of sports and fitness companies transforming the athletic landscape. Whether you’re tracking recently funded startups in performance analytics, sports betting technology, fitness equipment, or athlete management software, our database provides verified contact information and detailed funding insights.

We’ve listed the most recent 100 sports startups with funding rounds in the table below. You’ll find more interesting statistics from our database about these companies beneath the table. Growth List subscribers can also discover which investors are leading these funding rounds and access contact details for CEOs and other decision-makers at these companies.

Recently Funded Sports Startups

Sports Startups at a Glance

• Number of sports startups in our database: 398
• Number of verified email addresses in our database: 551
• Number of social profiles in our database: 1,042
• Other data points stored: 5,571
• Total funding raised in 2024: $996,235,309
  • Seed: $64,641,422
  • Series A: $211,001,867
  • Series B: $55,000,000
  • Series C: $0
  • Other funding*: $1,455,041,238
• Total funding raised in 2025: $1,268,319,946

*Other funding includes private equity, debt financing, and various other types of capital.

Key Insights About Funded Sports Startups

• Funded sports startups raised nearly $1 billion in 2024
• 271 funded sports startups in our verified database
• AI-powered analytics dominate recent funded sports startups deals
• Most funded sports startups are in performance tech and sports betting

What are Sports Startups?

Funded sports startups are innovative companies that apply technology to improve athletic performance, enhance fan experiences, modernize sports business operations, and create new ways to engage with sports and fitness. These companies span everything from AI-powered performance analytics and wearable fitness trackers to fantasy sports platforms and sports betting technology.

The sports technology revolution accelerated dramatically over the past decade as athletes, teams, and organizations recognized the competitive advantages that data analytics, computer vision, and mobile technology could provide. According to Deloitte’s sports technology outlook, the sector has evolved from simple fitness tracking apps to sophisticated AI systems that analyze game footage, predict injury risks, and optimize training regimens.

Today’s sports startups leverage technologies like machine learning for performance prediction, blockchain for fan engagement and ticketing, computer vision for automated game analysis, and IoT sensors for real-time athlete monitoring. The sector attracts substantial venture capital investment as entrepreneurs compete to digitize every aspect of the sports industry.

Categories of Funded Sports Startups

Sports startups receiving funding today operate across numerous specialized categories. Performance analytics companies build software that helps coaches and athletes make data-driven training decisions using biomechanics and movement analysis. Wearable technology startups create sensors and smart devices that track metrics ranging from heart rate variability to muscle fatigue indicators.

Fan engagement platforms leverage mobile apps, augmented reality, and social networks to create immersive experiences for spectators, while sports betting and fantasy sports companies use sophisticated algorithms to power predictive markets. Many of these companies raise seed funding initially, then progress through Series A, Series B, and Series C rounds as they scale.

Other major categories include athlete management software for team operations, sports media and streaming platforms, fitness equipment and connected hardware, venue technology for stadiums and arenas, and sports commerce platforms for equipment and merchandise. Many recent sports funding rounds target companies combining multiple categories, such as platforms that integrate performance tracking with social features or betting capabilities.

Explore More Funded Startups by Industry

Looking for startups in other sectors? Check out our comprehensive lists:

• Fitness Startups – Health and wellness technology companies
• Wellness Startups – Mental and physical wellbeing platforms
• Gaming Startups – Video game and esports companies
• Entertainment Startups – Media and content platforms
• AI Startups – Artificial intelligence technology companies
• Recently Funded Startups – Latest funding announcements across all industries

Why Sports Tech Matters

Sports technology startups are fundamentally transforming how athletes train, teams compete, and fans experience sports. By applying data science, computer vision, and mobile technology to athletic performance and fan engagement, these companies unlock insights that were impossible to capture just a few years ago. Professional teams now rely on sports analytics startups to make critical decisions about player health, training optimization, and competitive strategy.

The democratization of sports technology extends these benefits beyond elite athletes to amateur competitors and fitness enthusiasts. Wearable devices and mobile apps provide personalized coaching and performance feedback that were once available only to professionals with dedicated support staff. This accessibility is expanding the market for sports technology and attracting significant venture capital investment.

Sports startups also address important challenges around athlete safety, particularly in contact sports where concussion risk and injury prevention are paramount concerns. Companies developing smart helmets, impact sensors, and AI-powered injury prediction systems are receiving substantial funding as sports organizations prioritize player health and safety.

Sports Startup Funding Trends

Sports technology funding has grown substantially as venture capitalists recognize the sector’s potential. While early investment waves focused on consumer fitness apps and fantasy sports platforms, recent funding rounds increasingly target business-to-business solutions for professional teams, leagues, and sports organizations. Investors are particularly interested in companies with proven revenue models, exclusive data partnerships, and defensible technology.

Geographic trends show sports technology funding concentrated in traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley, New York, and London, but emerging clusters are developing near major sports franchises and in countries with strong sports industries. Many successful sports startups establish partnerships with professional leagues or teams early in their development to validate their technology and secure distribution channels.

Recent Sports Investment Insights:

Our database shows sports startups raised nearly $1 billion in 2024, with particularly strong activity in AI-powered analytics, fan engagement platforms, and sports betting technology. Early 2025 funding of over $109 million suggests continued investor appetite despite broader market uncertainties. Access our complete startup database to track specific funding rounds and investor details.

2025 Sports Technology Innovation Trends

The sports technology landscape in 2025 is being reshaped by several transformative innovations. AI-powered video analysis has reached new levels of sophistication, with computer vision systems automatically tracking player movements, identifying tactical patterns, and generating detailed performance reports without human intervention. Professional teams across multiple sports are deploying these systems to gain competitive advantages through superior game preparation and opponent analysis.

Wearable technology continues advancing beyond simple activity tracking to comprehensive biometric monitoring that can predict injury risks, optimize recovery protocols, and personalize training loads. These devices now integrate multiple sensor types to measure everything from sleep quality and heart rate variability to blood glucose levels and muscle oxygenation. The data they generate feeds into machine learning models that provide increasingly accurate recommendations for athlete health and performance optimization.

Virtual and augmented reality training systems are gaining traction as costs decrease and technology improves. Athletes can now practice against simulated opponents, rehearse game situations in immersive environments, and receive real-time feedback on technique without the physical demands of actual competition. This technology is particularly valuable for skill development, tactical preparation, and injury rehabilitation.

2025 Sports Tech Market Insights

• AI-powered performance analytics seeing increased venture capital investment
• Wearable biosensor technology advancing beyond basic activity tracking
• Sports betting and fantasy platforms dominating consumer-facing funding
• 45% of funded sports startups now incorporate AI or machine learning capabilities

These trends demonstrate why funded sports startups continue attracting significant investor attention across performance analytics, fan engagement, and sports betting categories.

How to Use This Sports Startup Database

Investors use our sports startup database to identify emerging opportunities and track funding trends across performance analytics, fan engagement, and sports betting sectors. By monitoring which companies are raising capital at seed, Series A, or later stages, investors can spot market momentum and evaluate potential investment targets before they become widely known.

Sales and business development teams leverage our verified contact information to reach decision-makers at recently funded sports companies. These startups often have fresh capital to spend on services ranging from cloud infrastructure and B2B software to marketing and legal services, making them high-priority prospects for B2B vendors.

Sports organizations, leagues, and teams research our database to identify technology partners and potential acquisition targets. The comprehensive funding data helps sports business professionals understand which technologies are attracting investment and which startups have the capital to support enterprise partnerships. Market researchers and analysts utilize our database to understand sports technology trends, track funding patterns, and measure investor sentiment across different sports technology categories.

Our database of funded sports startups is updated weekly with new funding rounds, making it the most current resource for tracking sports technology investment trends.

Frequently Asked Questions About Funded Sports Startups

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