Exo: Created in 2023 by Bérénice Marmonier and Bastien Lachambre, Exo is an app that rewards people who participate in sports at 250 partner sports venues (fitness, climbing, paddle, swimming pool, 5-a-side soccer...). The members are motivated to exercise and interact with their gym through marketing missions, to win rewards from Exo's partner brands such as Lululemon, Garmin, or Feed. Exo's aim is to encourage people to take part in sports through games and boost the ecosystem of sports venues with a gamified social engagement tool. The company raised a $500,000 Seed Round from Seventure Partners in June.
K-Invent: Founded in 2017, this Montpellier-based startup produces measuring and training devices to help physiotherapists manage rehab patients and top athletes optimize performance and recovery. The company raised a €16 million round of funding earlier this year from Eurazeo to expand its use of machine learning and expand into new territories, including the U.S. The company has raised a total of €22 million.
Sportall: Founded in 2018 by Thierry Boudard and Arnaud Caron, the company offers a marketplace for sports rights holders willing to distribute and monetize their sports video content. The platform enables sports federations and clubs to produce and broadcast live and recorded videos of their events and competitions. The company has raised €4.2 million in venture capital, including a €2.9 million Series A round in 2022.
Kobi: Founded in 2018 by brothers Sofiane and Adam Laurent and childhood friend Nicolas Reaud, Kobi is an application designed to improve the sports-related purchasing power of employees and promote their well-being. The app is offered by companies and insurers to encourage their employees and customers to engage in physical activity by providing them with a tool for financing sports expenditures. The company raised a €1 million Seed Round from Bpifrance in 2021. More recently, French MMA star Ciryl Gane and French Footballer Raphaël Varane have become investors and ambassadors for Kobi.
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Fanprime: Created in 2019 by David Lozano, Fanprime gamifies the fan experience using Web3 elements. The system allows users to earn experience points, badges, and progress in rankings, notably through their engagement on social networks, while offering exclusives and digital products. The startup targets the sports and brand sectors and brands to enrich their loyalty programs. The company has raised about €3 million in Seed Funding.
Defit: Created in 2021 by Kevin Serou, Defit is a platform integrating Web3 technologies, motivating users to earn rewards for physical activities such as walking, running, swimming, and cycling. Users can connect various fitness trackers and smartwatches to track their activities and earn coins. Defit also features game modes, NFTs to enhance the user experience, and the possibility of becoming a team leader to create a community and motivate its members.
Sporty Peppers: Created in 2021 by Nathalie Paquet, Sporty Peppers is a platform that offers a fun and social approach to daily physical activity. It allows users to practice exercise without the need for specialized equipment by using games accessible on smartphones, tablets, and computers for the general public. Sporty Peppers also offers BtoB customized games for sports organizations. The company was among the first three selected for the Grande Cause Nationale programs, which included a €50,000 check for marketing.
Touch2See: Founded in 2022 by Arthur Chazelle, Touch2See developed a tablet with an audio complement to enable the visually impaired to follow live sports matches. The startup offers an immersive experience. A magnetic cursor indicates the position of the ball, vibrations simulate the intensity of the game, and an audio description provides precise details of the event.
Manita: Created in 2021 by Camille Amar, Manita offers every woman sports experiences to suit different schedules, including orientation, matches, and tournaments, in a non-judgmental, sisterly atmosphere. The company also encourages businesses to create women's teams and promote inclusion and equality through sport.
Footbar: Founded in 2014 by Sylvain Ract and Loïc Manent, two engineers who created the tracker Meteor to measure performance during a soccer match. Jacques D'Arrigo (of SporTech FR), joined as a co-founder in 2020 to expand marketing. Stéphane Martin became CEO in 2022. The company now uses sensors and video streams to train its soccer algorithm. The company raised a €3 million round in December 2023 from an undisclosed investor.
Ochy.io: Founded in 2021 by Khaldon Evans and Perrine Chapot, later joined by co-founder and CTO Victor Dequidt, the service targets runners and health professionals such as physiotherapists and osteopaths. The company has developed a video analysis platform that evaluates running techniques, identifies weak points, and provides actionable insights for improvement. The company raised a $750,000 Seed Round in February from BNP Paribas and Berkeley Venture Capital.
Kavval.com: An online platform that serves as a comprehensive guide for running enthusiasts. The company operates in the sports and fitness market, specifically targeting individuals interested in running events. It provides a user-friendly interface where users can search for running events that match their preferences using over 50 filters and themes. These filters include the type of race, location, and special themes such as nature, charity causes, and races suitable for children and juniors.
Fullmotiv: Launched in 2024 by Lambert Roudil and Mickael Mesnage, the platform allows users to create a team, invite its members, and organize sports events. The company just launched version 1.
Stride: Sports energy bars made from insect flour.
Deeptimize: Founded in 2021 by Antoine Pirovano and Guillaume Vaudaux-Ruth, the company uses AI for posture correction and sports performance. The company currently focuses on football, rugby, basketball, tennis, and judo. The goal: Become the global leader in computer vision for sports video analysis and bring our technologies to clubs, federations, and sports enthusiasts worldwide.
Other notable SportsTech startups
Companies participating in the Games
Sport-Heroes: Organizing the big connected race for Olympic Day, June 22nd.
Kinomap: Organizing the Marathon Pour Tous.
Flycup: Contract (still confidential) with a major OG partner: 1,350,000 Flycup ordered.
Trainme: With the FDJ on the forecourt of the Paris City Hall: fencing, VR cycling, and surfing.
Touch2see: Presence of tablets in stadiums.
Wattsgood: Animation during the men’s and women’s road cycling events on August 3rd and 4th.
Nolio: Platform used by some athletes competing in the OG (contracts with the French Rowing Federation & French Cycling Federation).
IPA: The PlaySharp solution (a web solution that centralizes information for top athletes) used by athletes competing in the OG.
Move'N See: Auto-follow camera specialists for dressage. Official partner of the American Equestrian Federation. American dressage teams preparing for the OG with Move'N See cameras.
Sport Faction: Organizing an event with Athletepreneur, an American VC fund founded by athletes for athletes and SportsTech.
Startups Present at the Medef Booth in Club France
French business association Medef will host one startup each day in its booth:
Sportypeppers
Footki
Swish Live
Humanoo
Art Design Story
Jooks
Smatchy (Apple App Store) (Google Play)
Footbar
Hemotion
Wattsgood
Neoxperiences
Onjoukan
Move'N See
Ochy
Fillin
Vogo
Ai Bright
Selected for Grande Cause Nationale 2024
WeWard: a mobile application that enhances the value of walking by increasing users' walking time through a fun, innovative system of rewards to be won. By transforming the habits of its users, WeWard is not only a lever for prevention, but also a player in the ecological transition: 600,000 tonnes of CO2 have been saved by its users by replacing car journeys with walking.
Cool Rool: carpooling application for amateur sports clubs, to help parents and clubs organize inter-club sports trips.
Companies selected by the Sports Ministry for its Sports Innovation program
Wemap: An indoor and outdoor mapping, localization and guidance solution that enables event organizers, sports stadium operators and public facilities to enhance the experience of fans, tourists and other visitors.
Fair Vision: A software solution and autonomous, photovoltaic solar-powered video capture equipment to connect sports arenas and facilitate performance analysis by coaches.
Sportall: (see above)
Kobi: (see above)
261Pi: A digital platform enabling sports players to measure, analyze, and enhance their CSR performance by taking into account the challenges of their business sector.
DeFit: (see above)
Finishers: A platform for listing outdoor sporting events, enabling athletes to buy their bibs and organize their participation, and organizers to publicize their races.
