Analytics
Europe Sports Tech Research
While the whole world is still catching its breath from the excitement of the Euroleague and eagerly anticipating the 2024 Olympics in Paris, we're on the edge of our seats for the presentation of our new study on the venture capital investment landscape in European sports.
Recently, a friendly Serbian fund, which specializes in sports technology investments and offers soft-landing programs and bootcamps for startups and IT businesses, reached out to Blank’s analytics and strategic consulting department. They wanted to enhance their research team to develop the largest catalog of deals among sports tech startups in Europe. And guess what? We delivered!
120+
Slides created
700+
Startups analyzed for research
2 months
Project implementation period
+1
Happy client
Project brief
A venture fund [NDA] recently approached Blank with a proposal to conduct research on the European sports market. The aim is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the market, encompassing startups, technologies, sports, and esports.
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Content & Insights
//Sports Overview by Discipline: Key Market Data
We've created detailed information cards for each sport that either generates the most stable revenue streams or has the highest number of participants and viewers. Our selection includes the following sports (see below).
For each of these sports, we've compiled a dashboard that provides an overview of the number of professional and amateur athletes, the number of leagues, and the number of pro and semi-pro clubs. The statistics are enhanced with additional metrics such as country rankings by revenue from ticket sales, broadcasting rights, and sponsorships, as well as the popularity and revenue of clubs and leagues.
//Sports Overview by Countries: Technology and Investment trends
Then we turned our attention to the countries receiving the most venture capital in SportsTech. Surprisingly, four countries — the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, and France — accounted for 35% of all investments in European SportsTech from 2000 to 2024.
For each of these countries, we dedicated specific slides to investments in infrastructure projects and compiled a top-five list of the largest venture transactions since the early 2020s, highlighting the lead investors in each deal.
//Startups Catalog: Key Insights Presented in the Slides
The most valuable part of our work includes some key insights and patterns we identified while compiling the startup catalog. We decided to illustrate these findings in a series of slides.
After scouting over 3,500 startups and filtering them based on investment attraction and annual revenue exceeding $1 million, we narrowed the selection down to 790 startups. Each one was segmented into various groups, from the leading sector — Fan Engagement with $3.2 billion in investments in Europe over the past 25 years, Athlete Performance, Sponsorship, Organization Management, Content, Wellness, down to Esports with $500 million. Despite being the last, Esports remains a highly popular segment.
Depending on the counting methods used — whether to include traditional fitness operators, investments in sports apparel brands, and so on — the market leaders may vary. However, beyond coaching SaaS, investors show significant interest in sports analytics, smart wearables, sports social networks, and streaming platforms, actively integrating web 3.0 technology stack.
For each tech segment, we assessed the Compound Annual Growth Rate, identified key players among startups and investors, and documented market benchmarks, including the time required to raise a round and the average check size for seed, early-stage, and late-stage investments.
Methodology
Exploration of VC Databases
Our team delved into a variety of venture databases to collect and analyze data on startups, funding rounds, and investor profiles. These databases included Pitchbook, Tracxn, Crunchbase, Dealroom, and STX, enabling us to compile the most comprehensive catalog of venture deals in the SportsTech segment in Europe.
Insights from Industry Experts
To validate our findings and gain a deeper understanding of the venture landscape, we consulted with industry experts. Their insights provided valuable perspectives and enhanced the accuracy of our research. We conducted interviews with institutions such as Barça Innovation Hub, SporTech FR, Barcelona Sports Hub, SportsTech Sweden, CFR 1907 Cluj, and many others.
Analysis of Market Reports and Additional Sources
We performed a comprehensive market analysis to identify emerging trends, sector growth, and potential areas for disruption. This involved using reports from consulting groups, as well as international organizations like the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace. Additionally, we utilized reports on sports participation from governmental resources of each country.