Startups

Table 1. Denmark-based football tech startups – identified based on the General Sports Tech Matrix developed by Hansen et.al, (2021).

Based on the General Sports Tech Matrix below, developed by Hansen et.al (2021), they combine in a 2-dimensional matrix the user perspective categorisation with the technology used in the products and services of sportstech startups. Hansen et.al (2021) identified 28 Denmark-based football tech startups. The Danish mainly tech-driven football startups were identified as sketched out in the Sports Tech Matrix Table 1. Identification of the Denmark-based football tech startups showed that 75% operate in the Activity & Performance category, while 10% operate in Management & Organisation and 15% in Fans & Content. That is compared to the international distribution in which 46.5% of football tech startups operate in the Fans & Content category, 30.9% in the field of Activity & Performance, and 22.5% in the Management & Organisation category, covered by Facilities & Events and Media & Sponsorship in table 1. The Danish football startup ecosystem is, based on Couchouron and Hansen’s (2021) analyses, heavily focused on Performance, Training, and Health elements in developing services and products and establishing a business in this field of the sports industry sector. That may, to some extent, align with the research tradition of Danish sports science in which physical activity and health research within the population, and research in enhancing the performance of its elite athletes is strong. Denmark has a less focused research tradition in sports management. The research tradition in social and management sports science in Denmark mainly focuses on the voluntary civil society elements of sports organisations. Looking into the workshop participants in our investigations, the image heavily focuses on the performance, Training & Health elements. Second Sun is from the Facility & Event category, and Just Football is a kind of VR game of performance enhancement. Although we analysed the product to be in the Coaching & Tutorials category. The rest of the startups participating established a business in Wearables & Equipment, Data & Tracking, and Performance Tracking & Coaching. See international recognised football startups at: https://sifted. eu/articles/euro-2021-tech-football