Each will present their business plans to a panel of industry and investment experts on May 9, 2024, the final day of the premier iGaming and sports betting event in North America at Meadowlands Exposition Center, New Jersey. The competition will be held from 2:00pm to 3:00pm EDT in Conference Room 4.
The five finalists taking part in the SBC First Pitch are:
916 Gaming: The startup gamifies people’s favorite brands and familiar interactive games, ranging from infinite runners to puzzle-based challenges and first-person shooters, and builds real-money games (iCasino/iLottery content) for the United States and the rest of the world.
StatX Sports: The company supplies mission-critical products, data, and odds to sports leagues and teams, betting operators, and media companies.
Linemate Inc: The startup is building a sports gaming research engine for everyday sports fans—an app to discover, analyze, and select their best sports plays, similar to booking travel through Expedia or ordering takeout through Doordash.
EdgeSports: EdgeSports is a free sports betting app that provides picks through the use of AI and machine learning algorithms, minimising the time and effort needed to make informed betting decisions.
THNDR: A gaming product company that makes competitive, connected play possible with frictionless, peer-to-peer payment APIs. Through gamified rewards, social competitive play, and high-frequency wagering, the THNDR platform is driving the gaming experience beyond its boundaries
To determine the champion, SBC has assembled a judging panel with extensive expertise in venture capital investments within the industry. This esteemed panel features Rob Duboff (Director, Velo Partners), Adam Krejick (Principal, Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC), Lloyd Danzig (Partner, Sharp Alpha Advisors), Cassandra Lee (Senior Associate, Bettor Capital), and Melissa Blau (CEO, iGaming Capital), with Jesse Learmonth, Host of The Betting Startups Podcast, as the contest host.
Sue Schneider, VP of Growth & Strategy at SBC, said: "The caliber of submissions received for the SBC First Pitch has been truly impressive, showcasing the depth of innovation within the industry. Each of the five finalists brings a unique and captivating narrative to the table, so I think we will have a great competition this year.
"I'm pleased with the way we're able to back industry startups. Huge thanks to all the sponsors contributing to the prize fund and to the panel of judges who will assist us in selecting our winner this year."
The victorious startup will receive a prize bundle valued at over $40,000 to support its development and expansion plans, including:
A 6-month Sports & Emerging Verticals subscription by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, valued at $25,000.
An exclusive brand or web design package from Vegas Kings, a leading iGaming design and development agency, worth $3,120.
A promotional package from SBC Media, featuring six months of advertising on SBC Americas (sbcamericas.com), newsletter advertising, and two featured editorials promoting the business, valued at $12,000.
An exclusive prize package from GameOn worth $2,500, encompassing the drafting and distribution of two press releases to all B2B trade media as needed, an arranged interview with a US-facing trade publication, a short video interview to be produced by GameOn and shared on social media, content shared on GameOn’s social media channels, and inclusion in the GameOn newsletters.
Scrimmage, a retention tool designed to assist operators in the betting space by creating a gamified rewards program to enhance user engagement, emerged as the winner of last year's contest. Their compelling pitch resonated strongly with the judges, leading to a unanimous decision their favor.
All delegates at SBC Summit North America will have access to spectate at the SBC First Pitch.