To celebrate the global HYPE SPIN Accelerator program, Ministry of Sport has partnered with the University of Queensland (UQ) to deliver theĀ 2019 Tech In Sport eventĀ at Victoria Park in Brisbane on July 10th.
The HYPE UQ SPIN Accelerator is a global program that was developed to champion entrepreneurship and sports tech innovation, whilst providing access to mentors and investors from around the world to fast-track promising local startups onto the world stage.
In the lead-up to the event, Ministry of Sport is interviewing the final 10 graduates aboutĀ their cutting edge sports tech products, as they prepare their final pitches for the chance to win $25,000 and entry to one of AusTradeās Landing Pad programs.
Founded in 2015, BiiB was created with an aim to improve social cohesion and wellness through sports. It is a digital running arena that enables different communities regardless of their location to join our in-app running and walking challenge as a team with positive peer pressure, social cause and promote unity among the members.
Ministry of Sport had a chat withĀ She Yong Tan, Co-Founder and CEO of Biib, about the company and their involvement in the HYPE SPIN Accelerator program.
Q1: Why did you start this business?
The Boston marathon bombingĀ triggered us to look at running from a different angle as it struck us how distance running can connect mankind together. This prompted us to design BiiBĀ with an aim to improve social cohesion and wellness through sports.
BiiB can drive a positive change to the world by bringing people together for a common goal.Ā We aspire to inspire different communities to be activeĀ by creating a culture of positive, self-continuous transformation with the help of peer support.
Q2: Is there another product like this in the market place? How is yours different?
There are many run tracking appsĀ (e.g. Strava, Runtastic, Runkeeper) and independent virtual run organizers in the market. However, these apps/organizers focus only on measuring individual performance, i.e. “my” performance and “my” growth. We emphasize the community/team engagement which requires people to come as a group to achieve greater things TOGETHER,Ā whilstĀ at the same timeĀ forging new friendships. For example, A user can opt to run with different running clubs, office mates or even family members for different events.
Q3: What are some key lessons you have learned on the journey so far?
Q4: What are your plans for the future?
Scale-upĀ and collaborate with the United Nations and governments to reduce physical inactivity by 10% in 2025 using our scalable method by working with different authorities and also industry partners.
Q5: What has your experience been like in the UQ HYPE SPIN accelerator program?
Great experience so far. What we love the most is the global market insights and having the opportunity to interact and learn from internationalĀ industry veterans and experts.
If you would like more information or to attend the Tech in Sport event, you can secure yourĀ complimentary ticket byĀ clicking here,Ā but be quick because tickets are limited.
About HYPE Sports Innovation
HYPE Sports Innovation is the largest global ecosystem in sports innovation. With over 30,000 members, including retail brands, sports clubs, federations, and academia. Together with over 10,000 startups, HYPE Sports Innovation has an unrivalled capacity for outreach to global partners across all sectors in this highly diverse field. The companyās business model is to leverage this platform to grow from the surging needs of the sports industry to innovate. Since its inception, the company has created and expanded unique offerings and services, all with unprecedented success and value added for investors, partners, and consumers. Among its clients are UEFA, Adidas,Ā Spalding, Silicon Valley Bank, Asics, Google, and many more. The companyās mission is to impact peopleās lives through the power of sports and innovation. Visit HYPE Sports Innovation at:Ā www.hypesportsinnovation.com
About UQ and ilab
TheĀ University of QueenslandāsĀ ilabĀ operates one ofĀ AustraliaāsĀ most experienced accelerator programs having delivered 13 startup accelerator programs and whose startups have raisedĀ $62MĀ of early-stage capital in the past 5 years. The 3-months HYPE UQ SPIN ACCELERATORĀ® Program will leverage UQās ilab expertise and UQās top 3 global ranking in sports science research.Ā While the majority of the program operates virtually allowing startups to participate from their home base, several residential modules will be delivered from its prime startup space in the heart of the picturesqueĀ University of Queensland. Beyond this, overĀ $1BĀ has been invested in UQ related companies through UniQuest,Ā AustraliaāsĀ leading commercialization entity specializing in the intellectual property of UQ.
The HYPE UQ SPIN Accelerator is proudly supported by Advance Queensland.
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