Events & Activity

Sport Innovation Challenges

Sport Innovation Challenges are international competitions that aim at finding new ideas or sourcing existing solutions to solve sport issues through innovation. They either tackle global topics or specific needs from sport federations. Participants can be start-ups, academics, students, hackers or projects.
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Sport Innovation Challenge — powered by ThinkSport

ThinkSport · Sport Innovation Challenges

Real sport problems.
The right minds.
Solutions built to move.

A Sport Innovation Challenge connects a clearly defined need with the people best placed to solve it — from startups and researchers to students, hackers and the global sports ecosystem.

Find your challenge Talk to the SIC team Watch the Challenges video explanation

Supported byCanton de Vaud

Explore only what you need

Choose the right route

One purpose.
Two challenge models.

Both models turn a problem into an actionable solution. What changes is the scale of the issue, the community invited to solve it and the way the winning idea moves forward.

Pathway 01Open innovation

SIC for Global Issues

A worldwide call for startups and innovators to address a major topic shaping the future of sport.

Best for
Cross-sport, market-wide or societal issues
Solvers
Startups & Entrepreneurs — worldwide
Outcome
THE SPOT final, prize money and an accelerator pathway
AI & Robotics The Future of Play Olympic Capital
Pathway 02Organisation-led

SIC for Sport Organisations

A focused challenge built around a concrete need from an International Federation or sport organisation.

Best for
A specific operational, strategic or data-led problem
Solvers
Academia & Students — universities and technical talent
Outcome
A tailored route to implementation inside the organisation
Jumpstart × ThinkSport Gen-next Data-Hack

The SIC portfolio

Six formats.
Different minds for different missions.

SIC for Global Issues Startups & Entrepreneurs

01 / SIC for Global Issues Tech focus
AI & Robotics

A global startup challenge for scalable technology using artificial intelligence, robotics or adjacent deep-tech to transform sport.

71 applicants28 countries5 finalists · 2025
In partnership with
AquaBloom Sports Group logo
Who joins
Startups & Entrepreneurs — tech ventures and scale-ups
What they gain
Global exposure, expert feedback, prizes and accelerator access
Find out more
02 / SIC for Global Issues Broad innovation
The Future of Play

A global call for bold ventures reimagining how people play, participate and connect — open to innovation beyond purely technical solutions.

41 applicants14 countries5 finalists · 2025
In partnership with
Anthropy Partners logo
Who joins
Startups & Entrepreneurs — founders and creative innovators
What they gain
A route from idea validation to THE SPOT and Tech4Sport
Find out more
03 / SIC for Global Issues Open now
Olympic Capital

Calling startups, scale-ups, SMEs and large corporates. Join the SIC Olympic Capital programme and innovate with us in the world capital of sport.

In partnership with
Lausanne Olympic Capital logo Academic Network for Sports, Lausanne Region Switzerland logo Canton de Vaud logo
Who joins
Startups, scale-ups, SMEs and large corporates
What they gain
A route into the Lausanne sport ecosystem, expert feedback and the Tech4Sport pathway
Find out more

SIC for Sport Organisations Academia & Students

01 / SIC for Sport Organisations Upcoming · hybrid
Jumpstart × ThinkSport

An upcoming hybrid challenge inviting academic and student teams to help more young Canadians feel that they truly belong in sport.

In partnership with
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities logo
How might we build a sport community so supportive that every young athlete feels like they have found a second family?
Who joins
Academia & Students
Format
Onsite in Canada + online participation with ThinkSport
02 / SIC for Sport Organisations Applications open
gen—nextchallenge

The FEI Gen-next Sport Innovation Challenge invites post-secondary students to develop bold, practical solutions that can help shape the future of equestrian sport — focused on fan engagement, technology, fairness and the next generation of sport innovation. Applications open to universities until 31 August.

06 editions since 2020200+ students in 2023
2026 sport partner
FEI logo
Who joins
Academia & Students — business, sport-management & multidisciplinary
What they gain
Real-world impact, visibility and possible implementation roles
Explore six years of Gen-next
Find out more
03 / SIC for Sport Organisations Data focus
data—hackchallenge

Technical universities and hackers work with real sport data to prototype useful, implementable solutions for a federation or sport organisation.

2025 topics: music generation + storytelling from skating data
2025 sport partner
ISU — International Skating Union logo
Who joins
Academia & Students — hackers, data talent & technical universities
What they gain
Access to a real brief, expert data and an implementation opportunity
Find out more

Why take part?

Value for every side
of the challenge.

SICs do more than reward an idea. They create a structured place for demand, talent and implementation to meet.

For startups & innovators

Turn a solution into a credible opportunity.

Validate with experts, gain international visibility, meet decision-makers, compete for funding and access the Tech4Sport pathway.

For sport organisations & IFs

Open a real problem to fresh, focused thinking.

Source diverse solutions, activate internal stakeholders and shape a tailored route from winning idea to implementation.

For academia & talent

Work on a brief that matters beyond the classroom.

Apply skills to live sport challenges, learn from mentors and create pathways to internships, roles and industry recognition.

For partners & the ecosystem

Build the conditions for solutions to travel.

Connect knowledge, technology, investment and sport around an issue with measurable relevance and global reach.

How the models work

From problem statement
to practical next step.

Beyond the challenge Tech4Sport Accelerator A challenge can be the start, not the finish. Selected teams move on to expertise, partners and a final pitch. See the programme
Pathway 01

Global Issues

Open worldwide. Built to identify and accelerate ventures capable of addressing a major issue across sport.

  1. 01Applications15 Jan
  2. 02Selection1–15 Mar
  3. 0320 semi-finalists30–31 Mar
  4. 045 finalists at THE SPOT4–5 May
  5. 05Tech4Sport intakeMay
  6. 06Accelerator · phase 115 Jun–3 Jul
  7. 07Accelerator · phase 26–10 Jul
  8. 08Accelerator · phase 313–31 Jul
  9. 09Final pitch1 Sep

Swipe the timeline

THE SPOT podiumPrize money
01CHF 10’000
02CHF 6’000
03CHF 4’000
Beyond the podium

A challenge can be the start, not the finish.

Selected semi-finalists can enter Tech4Sport: ThinkSport’s next-stage accelerator, connecting promising teams with expertise, partners and a final pitch opportunity.

Pathway 02

Sport Organisations

Tailored around the partner organisation. Built to move a winning idea as close as possible to real adoption.

  1. 01
    Frame the briefThe organisation brings a concrete business, strategic or data challenge.
  2. 02
    Activate the right talentGen-next convenes business students; Data-Hack mobilises technical teams and hackers.
  3. 03
    Open the organisationExperts provide context, mentoring, stakeholder access and — where relevant — real data.
  4. 04
    Select the solutionTeams pitch an actionable idea to the organisation and SIC Council.
  5. 05
    Build the tailored rewardImplementation, internal and ecosystem visibility, plus a possible internship or role to help deliver it.

Expert judgement at the decision point

Meet the minds behind
the SIC Council.

Ideas are selected by people who understand sport. Nine leaders bring strategic, commercial, digital and research perspectives to the challenge.

09 experts
one council
Portrait of Sameer Patel FIFA · International FederationSameer PatelInnovation & Research Manager Portrait of Valerio Cianfoni WBSC · International FederationValerio CianfoniHead of Special Project Portrait of Gustavo Arellano FIBA · International FederationGustavo ArellanoHead of Commercial Development Portrait of Stéphane Schwander FEI · International FederationStéphane SchwanderHead of Digital Portrait of Hannah Grossenbacher IOC · Olympic MovementHannah GrossenbacherSenior Manager Portrait of Caroline Brooks WFSGI · Sport IndustryCaroline BrooksHead of Physical Activity Portrait of Luca Fasani World Aquatics · International FederationLuca FasaniDirector, Digital Services and Office Operations Portrait of Benjamin Stoll FIS · International FederationBenjamin StollDirector of Digital and Innovation Portrait of Jiao Li ISU · International FederationJiao LiChief of Commercial and Marketing

ThinkSport’s longest-running SIC format

Gen-next.
Six editions of legacy.

Explore one edition at a time. A compact view of the organisations, institutions, mentors and students that have shaped the challenge since 2020.

2020
Sport partner

Tour de Suisse

The first Gen-next edition opened a live sport challenge to university talent.

04 universities & institutions35 students
2021
Sport partner

Lucerne 2021 · World University Games

The challenge grew into an international, mentor-supported student programme.

11 universities & institutions29 student teams21 mentors134 students
2022
Sport partner

Freeride World Tour

Student teams addressed a real growth and innovation brief from an international sport property.

06 universities & institutions32 student teams26 mentors144 students
2023
Sport partner

Swiss Olympic

The largest student cohort to date connected academic creativity with a national sport organisation.

06 universities & institutions48 student teams46 mentors208 students
2024
Sport partner

ASF · Swiss Football Association

A new organisation, a new brief and another multidisciplinary student community activated.

06 universities & institutions32 student teams20+ mentors148 students
2025
Sport partner

FIBA

Six academic institutions explored two live briefs: accelerating women’s basketball and unlocking health-data opportunities.

06 academic institutions02 strategic topics01 implementation ambition

Tap a row to reveal the details — without extending the page.

Sport Innovation Challenge — powered by ThinkSport

Future editions

Bring the problem.
Or bring the solution.

Tell us where you fit. The SIC team will help identify the right format and next step.

For startups & innovatorsJoin a future edition For sport organisationsBring us a challenge For academic institutionsActivate your talent