Top 99 Sports Startups to Watch in 2026
The sports industry attracts a wide range of companies, from media streaming to fantasy gaming.
This list features major players like sports streaming service DAZN, which has raised $5.1 billion. It also includes newer ventures such as Unrivaled, a women's basketball league founded in 2023.
Below is our list of 99 Sports startups worth keeping an eye on.
Failory's Top 9 Picks
FanDuel created a comprehensive gaming destination that includes daily fantasy sports, a full-service sportsbook, and online casino games. Their platform is a major hub for sports fans looking to place wagers or compete in fantasy contests across numerous professional leagues.
| Headquarters | New York, New York, United States |
| Year Founded | 2007 |
| Founders | Lesley Eccles, Nigel Eccles, Rob Jones, Tom Griffiths |
| Funding Amount | $416.2M |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series E |
| Top Investors | Comcast, Shamrock Capital Advisors, Liquid 2 Ventures, FJ Labs, Dawn Capital |
Strava's platform is a social network that helps athletes track their runs, bike rides, and other workouts. The app connects a global community of users through shared activities and competitive leaderboards.
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Mark Gainey, Mark Shaw, Michael Horvath |
| Funding Amount | $151.9M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | Sequoia Capital, TCV, Jackson Square Ventures, Employee Stock Option Fund, Dragoneer Investment Group |
CRED has developed an intelligent hub that connects a business's internal systems with predictive AI. The platform processes real-world signals to help sales and marketing teams discover and pursue new growth opportunities.
| Headquarters | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | Anthony Meir, Chaitanya Shah, Jon Carr-Harris |
| Funding Amount | $15M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Gaingels, Alumni Ventures, Defy.vc, HOF Capital, BAM Ventures |
Unrivaled created a new player-owned women's basketball league for the WNBA off-season. The league provides a premier domestic platform for elite athletes to compete and grow their careers without having to play overseas.
| Headquarters | Miami, Florida, United States |
| Year Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier |
| Funding Amount | $43.7M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Bessemer Venture Partners, Serena Ventures, Avenue Capital Group, Warner Bros., Next Legacy Partners |
PrizePicks created a daily fantasy sports game that simplifies how fans engage with their favorite players. The platform allows users to make simple more-or-less predictions on athlete stats for a chance to win real money.
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Adam Wexler, Jay Deuskar |
| Funding Amount | $850k |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Matt Ryan, John Collins, The Players' Impact, Phoenix Capital Ventures (PCV), Parlay Capital Holdings |
DAZN runs a global sports streaming service that delivers live and on-demand events directly to fans. The platform is particularly known for its major boxing and combat sports broadcasts, offering a modern alternative to traditional pay-per-view and cable packages.
| Headquarters | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | James Rushton, Leonard Blavatnik |
| Funding Amount | $5.1B |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | Access Industries, SURJ Sports Investment, Len Blavatnik |
Five Iron Golf creates urban indoor golf experiences that combine high-tech simulators with a full-service bar and entertainment. Their venues offer a modern, community-focused alternative to traditional golf courses for practice, lessons, and social events.
| Headquarters | New York, New York, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Jared Solomon, Katherine Solomon, Mike Doyle, Nora Dunnan |
| Funding Amount | $50M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Powerhouse Capital, Enlightened Hospitality Investments, North Castle Partners, Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp, Larry Fitzgerald |
SeatGeek operates a mobile-focused ticket platform that helps fans buy and sell tickets for live sports, concerts, and theater events. Their search engine aggregates tickets from across the web and uses a proprietary scoring system to help fans find the best value on seats.
| Headquarters | New York, New York, United States |
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Eric Waller, Jack Groetzinger, Russell D'Souza |
| Funding Amount | $400.1M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series E |
| Top Investors | Accel, Wellington Management, Founder Collective, TCV, FJ Labs |
Underdog Fantasy created a popular fantasy sports platform for daily drafts and unique player prop games. They provide sports and esports fans with accessible contests, including their well-known Pick’em and Best Ball formats.
| Headquarters | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Brandon Stakenborg, Jeremy Levine |
| Funding Amount | $115M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | BlackRock, Spark Capital, SV Angel, MANTIS Venture Capital, Palm Tree Crew |
90 Additional Sports Startups Worth Following
Our top 9 picks are just a small slice of what’s happening in sports right now. Across the industry, new founders are experimenting with ideas and launching products that push the game forward.
Together, these companies have raised billions of dollars, with many working in fields like AI, media, and gaming. Here’s a look at the other 90 startups shaping the future of how we experience sports.
| Startup | Main Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Castore | Marketing | 2016 | £198.2M | Private Equity |
 Mobile Premier League | Gaming | 2018 | $390.5M | Venture Round |
 Minute Media | Marketing | 2011 | $260M | Venture Round |
 VideoVerse | AI | 2016 | $60.1M | Series C |
 BetMGM | Gaming | 2018 | $25.1k | Seed |
 Scorability | Enterprise | 2023 | $51M | Venture Round |
 Betr | Gaming | 2022 | $100M | Undisclosed |
 Dream Sports | Sports | 2008 | $400M | Secondary Market |
 Barstool Sports | Media | 2003 | $178M | Corporate Round |
 BookMyShow | Media | 1999 | $224.5M | Series D |
 Fanatics | Gaming | 2002 | $4.9B | Private Equity |
 Chicago Bears | Sports | 1920 | $209.2M | Secondary Market |
 New England Patriots | Sports | 1959 | $720M | Private Equity |
 Novig | Gaming | 2021 | $24.9M | Series A |
 WHOOP | Analytics | 2012 | $404.8M | Series F |
 CAMB.AI | AI | 2023 | $19.4M | Seed |
 Religion of Sports | Media | 2017 | $63M | Series B |
 Philadelphia Phillies | Sports | 1883 | $600M | Secondary Market |
 Lotus Cars | Mobility | 1948 | £90M | Debt Financing |
 FOX Sports | Sports | 1994 | $30M | Grant |
 Vox Media | Marketing | 2003 | $407.6M | Corporate Round |
 League One Volleyball | Media | 2019 | $160M | Venture Round |
 Teamworks | Infrastructure | 2009 | $422.2M | Series F |
 Sports Innovation Lab | Marketing | 2017 | $4.2M | Venture Round |
 FanCode | Analytics | 2019 | $50M | Series A |
 Learfield | Marketing | 1972 | $150M | Private Equity |
 Ekkobar | AI | 2019 | $950k | Seed |
 Sleeper | Gaming | 2015 | $67.3M | Series C |
 Emergent | AI | 2025 | $2M | Pre-Seed |
 Dream11 | Sports | 2008 | $1.6B | Venture Round |
 Backcountry | Retail | 1996 | $112M | Debt Financing |
 Hudl | SaaS | 2006 | $228.9M | Series F |
 OneFootball | Media | 2008 | $442M | Corporate Round |
 McLaren Group | Mobility | 2017 | £548.8M | Corporate Round |
 Coach | Media | 2020 | $200k | Pre-Seed |
 Real Madrid C.F. | Sports | 1902 | $945M | Debt Financing |
 ShotTracker | Analytics | 2013 | $33.8M | Venture Round |
 Kroenke Sports & Entertainment | Sports | 1999 | £550M | Debt Financing |
 PSG | Sports | 1970 | $531.3M | Secondary Market |
 GRIND | Sports | 2020 | $1.2M | Undisclosed |
 EGYM | Sports | 2011 | $609.2M | Series G |
 National Football League | Sports | 1920 | $5.7M | Grant |
 Hyperice | Sports | 2011 | $147.8M | Debt Financing |
 FloSports | Marketing | 2006 | $79.4M | Series C |
 National Women's Soccer League | Marketing | 2012 | $125M | Undisclosed |
 Boston Legacy Football Club | Sports | — | $100M | Debt Financing |
 Eastside Golf | Sports | 2019 | $3.4M | Seed |
 nVenue | AI | 2017 | $14.3M | Venture Round |
 PureGym | Sports | 2009 | £455.3M | Debt Financing |
 WSC Sports | AI | 2011 | $136M | Series D |
 Superbet | Gaming | 2008 | $1.5B | Debt Financing |
 Pixellot | Media | 2013 | $218.3M | Series D |
 Veo | Hardware | 2015 | $113.3M | Series C |
 Kitman Labs | Analytics | 2012 | $76.5M | Series C |
 Games24x7 | Sports | 2006 | $75M | Venture Round |
 Urban Sports Club | Sports | 2012 | $175M | Venture Round |
 Recast | Media | 2018 | £18.3M | Seed |
 Zenniz | SaaS | — | $2M | Venture Round |
 Alpine | Mobility | 1955 | $200M | Secondary Market |
 KinetikIQ | AI | 2021 | €1M | Pre-Seed |
 Draftea | Media | 2021 | $37.2M | Series A |
 ESL | Hardware | 1996 | €30M | Corporate Round |
 Valencia CF | Media | 1919 | €322M | Debt Financing |
 AIstats | AI | 2023 | $1.2M | Pre-Seed |
 Classic Football Company | Communications | 2006 | $38.5M | Venture Round |
 Spiideo | Media | 2012 | $20M | Venture Round |
 Winners Alliance | Retail | 2022 | $66M | Venture Round |
 Faze | Retail | 2021 | $117.4M | Series A |
 Maurten | Sports | 2015 | €20M | Venture Round |
 ReSpo.Vision | AI | 2020 | $7.8M | Seed |
 Rematch | Sports | 2017 | €1.7M | Venture Round |
 Kinvent | Data | 2018 | €22.3M | Series B |
 PlayerData | Infrastructure | 2017 | $4.7M | Pre-Seed |
 Loupe | Media | 2020 | $15.1M | Series A |
 DUX | Food | 2015 | R$250M | Private Equity |
 Shot Scope | Enterprise | 2013 | $20M | Series B |
 Scoutium | Marketplace | 2017 | $4.1M | Equity Crowdfunding |
 Eversports | Marketplace | 2013 | $10.5M | — |
 Collectable | Retail | 2020 | $7.6M | Convertible Note |
 FitnessKPI | Analytics | 2017 | $1M | Venture Round |
 Bayes Holding | Analytics | 2014 | $18.8M | Venture Round |
 Volvik | Sports | 1980 | ₩22B | Venture Round |
 IQONIQ | Sports | 2019 | $100M | Debt Financing |
 Wingfield | Hardware | 2017 | $5.2M | — |
 SportAI | AI | 2023 | $3.4M | Grant |
 JOGO | AI | 2020 | $4.1M | Seed |
 Danu | Sports | 2017 | $3.5M | Series A |
 Pixotope | Marketing | 2013 | $46.9M | Venture Round |
 Betmate | Infrastructure | 2020 | £1.6M | Series A |
 Dongqiudi | Media | 2013 | $66.4M | Series C |
