How we play, move and engage with sport is evolving, and the next generation will experience it very differently.
To explore what comes next, ThinkSport has joined forces with Anthropy, a venture and research network investing in human potential research and technology, to launch the Sport Innovation Challenge 2026: The Future of Play.
This global challenge invites startups from MVP to PoC stage to rethink the foundations of play and participation. From reimagining movement and learning through sport, to designing new formats, tools and environments that inspire engagement, wellbeing and creativity, the Challenge seeks ideas that can unlock long-term impact across the sports ecosystem.
Selected startups will progress toward the finals at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne on 5 May 2026, where they will pitch in front of the IOC, International Federations and leading sport stakeholders. Finalists will compete for cash prizes of up to CHF 10,000, alongside strategic partnerships and unique exposure within the international sport community.
New in 2026, five of the twenty semi-finalists will also be invited to join Tech4Sport, a 7-week acceleration programme based in the Olympic Capital, offering hands-on support, mentoring and direct access to sport’s decision-makers.
If your startup is building technologies that can shape the future of sport participation and inspire institutions worldwide, ThinkSport and Anthropy invite you to step into the conversation.
👉 Applications are now open until 1 March via this link – https://innovation-thinksport.agorize.com/en/challenges/challenge-the-future-of-play-2026