There is a dynamic convergence of the sports, tech, and gaming industries, says Wayne Kimmel

From the Desk of…Wayne Kimmel, Managing Partner, SeventySix Capital

There is a dynamic convergence of the sports, tech, and gaming industries happening right now. Entrepreneurs backed by investors, like my team and I at SeventySix Capital, are transforming the world of sports betting and gaming.

The use of cutting-edge technology has disrupted other asset classes such as finance and health care and has now made its way into sports betting and gaming. Whether it’s data, analytics, machine learning, augmented reality, or Web3, entrepreneurs are reimagining what sports betting and gaming can be. We have only begun to scratch the surface of what is to come.

Major technology companies like Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta (Facebook), Netflix, and Google (YouTube) are starting to make their moves in sports, streaming, and rights deals. We must keep our eyes on this.

Also, the changes in amateur and collegiate sports is another area to watch. Name, image, and likeness (NIL), sports betting partnerships with universities, and the money that is wagered on these games is creating seismic changes to the collegiate sports industry

We have seen traditional sports media companies like ESPN, NBC, and CBS do a 180 when it comes to talking about odds on their shows and during the coverage of games. Legendary sportscasters like Brent Musburger (founder of VSiN - The Sports Betting Network that was sold to DraftKings in 2021) and Al Michaels (now the play-by-play announcer for Amazon's Thursday Night Football) no longer have to make subtle sports betting references. The immediate effect of sports betting can be seen across the NFL’s recent media and data deals that were $113 billion and $1 billion, respectively.

These developments are game-changing and underline why SeventySix Capital is investing in this asset class.

We need to continue to recruit the most talented people in the world to join the industry and there is no better place to do it than at G2E 2022 in Las Vegas from October 10-13. As a member of the G2E Conference Advisory Board, I look forward to seeing all of you there. Be sure to invite your friends and business colleagues. G2E is the place to discover, connect, and explore the future of sports betting and gaming!

Register today to attend G2E 2022, taking place October 10-13 (Education: October 10-13 | Expo Hall: October 11-13) at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas. 

SeventySix Capital Invests in ASENSEI

SeventySix Capital Invests in Fitness Tech Company ASENSEI

ASENSEI.AI is the easiest way to add form-tracking and personalization to Connected Fitness Products

Conshohocken, PA | July 20th 2022 | SeventySix Capital invested in award-winning fitness technology company, ASENSEI. Powered by 3D computer vision or connected apparel, ASENSEI has unlocked how human movement is observed, understood, coached, and corrected, so that digital fitness apps and connected fitness products can deliver the next generation of personalized experiences to their customers, powered by form-tracking. 

ASENSEI offers a cross-platform software development kit - ASENSEI.AI -  that adds motion capture to existing products with only a few lines of code. A patented approach to understanding posture and movement allows ASENSEI to add new exercises and movements in a matter of hours. For connected fitness brands including Reform RX, Speede, MOVR and CLMBR, ASENSEI’s solution brings new levels of personalization and engagement to products, designed to acquire, engage and retain customers through deep personalization that meets individuals where they are in their practice.

ASENSEI is led by Co-founder and CEO Steven Webster, who sold his first company to Adobe, before working at Microsoft alongside the Microsoft Kinect and XBox Fitness teams. Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Ross Arnott served as Director of Engineering at Cirrus Logic, designing and putting chips in products for companies including Apple, Samsung and Microsoft. Meanwhile, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Bill Burgar took his speech recognition company public on the London Markets, prior to leading the design and development of the movement recognition platform underpinning ASENSEI.

ASENSEI has a partnership with FORTË, a SeventySix Capital portfolio company, that enables people to virtually access live and on-demand, cost-effective, premier fitness content anytime, anywhere. 

“We were connected to SeventySix Capital by Lauren Foundos, CEO of FORTË, during our integration process with them,” stated ASENSEI CEO Steven Webster. “She shared how helpful SeventySix Capital’s team and relationships in the sports industry have been in building her company, and we are confident that they can do the same for us as we look to supercharge ASENSEI’s growth.”

“We believe that ASENSEI will transform the fitness industry as a must-have in every digital fitness app and connected fitness product,” commented Chad Stender, Partner at SeventySix Capital. “Our team is looking forward to working with them as they scale their business.”

About ASENSEI

ASENSEI is the easiest way to add form-tracking experiences to a Connected Fitness product. ASENSEI provides a cross-platform software development kit that allows developers to add form-tracking and coaching to their products in under an hour, removing the expense of a months-long process endured by companies who try to build rather than buy a form-tracking solution. ASENSEI provides an ever growing technique library of exercises in strength, mobility, yoga, Pilates, boxing, TRX and more. ASENSEI provides blueprint experiences that accelerate time to market for form-tracking powered experiences including movement screens, new customer onboarding, instructional learning, real-time coaching cues, post workout analysis, room-scale tracking and leaderboards and skill-based learning paths. To learn more about ASENSEI, visit www.asensei.ai. 

About SeventySix Capital

SeventySix Capital is a sports-focused venture capital company that has been building sports technology companies for over two decades and leverages that experience through its Sports Advisory consulting group. SeventySix Capital also has its Athlete Venture Group, which allows current and former players to invest, learn, and work directly with top sports startups and entrepreneurs. To learn more about SeventySix Capital, visit www.seventysixcapital.com.

Wayne Kimmel to Keynote Maryland Sports Business Conference

Wayne Kimmel to Keynote Maryland Sports Business Conference

Kimmel will discuss investing in the entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of sports

College Park, MD - April 29, 2022 - The University of Maryland Sports Business Society announced today that Wayne Kimmel, Managing Partner of SeventySix Capital, will be the keynote speaker at the 2022 Maryland Sports Business Conference on May 6th. 

Kimmel, a venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and Maryland alum (‘92) will be speaking on his investment thesis of investing in smart and nice entrepreneurs who are changing the sports industry. Kimmel’s venture capital fund, SeventySix Capital, is the leading early-stage investor in sports betting, esports and sports tech companies. 

Kimmel is also the author of “Six Degrees of Wayne Kimmel” and he will share his practical secrets to success while providing intimate glimpses behind the scenes of nail-biting, high-stakes sports business deals. He will speak about why he believes it is important to think like an entrepreneur, become a master networker and always help others. 

The 2022 Maryland Sports Business Conference presented by SeventySix Capital will be the second installment of the annual event, and the inaugural in-person event, after last year’s virtual conference. The conference will take place on May 6th and be hosted in the Jones-Hill House, the new home of the University of Maryland Football team.

The conference’s roster of speakers and guests is headlined by Sean Eggert (Under Armour’s SVP Global Marketing) and includes Diahann Billings-Burford (CEO, RISE), Kevin Blackistone (ESPN Around the Horn, Philip Merrill College of Journalism Professor), Rainelle Jones (Maryland Volleyball), Chad Steele (SVP of Communications, Baltimore Ravens), Heather Dinich (ESPN), Lauren Foundos (CEO, FORTË), Peter Raskin (Partner, Rubicon Talent), John Fazio (CEO, Nerd Street Gamers), Jack Krabbe (General Manager, Maryland Sports Properties) and Jon Schwartz (SVP Communications, Big Ten Conference). The conference will also feature networking opportunities, breakout sessions, and more. 

For the second consecutive year, the Maryland Sports Business Conference will also be working with Special Olympics Maryland to raise funds and awareness to support its athletes. 

Tickets are available for purchase online. More information about the event can be found on the conference’s Instagram. 

About Maryland Sports Business Conference

The Maryland Sports Business Conference was created in 2020 by undergraduate students in the Sports Business Society at the University of Maryland. They aim to increase awareness around sports business and educate students about the vast possibilities within this career field. They strive to foster a diverse and inclusive sports community, and connect their students with sports business professionals and organizations. The 2022 Maryland Sports Business Conference presented by SeventySix Capital will empower students to be innovative, be ambitious, and be fearless.

About Maryland Sports Business Conference’s Student Leaders

The Maryland Sports Business Conference is entirely student-led and organized by undergraduate students representing diverse majors, backgrounds, and interests. Led by Bradley Polkowitz (‘23, OMBA & Marketing), Rachel Levitt (‘22, Marketing), Joshua Liu (‘24, Finance & Marketing), and Abby Horick (‘23, Marketing), the team of twelve exceptional students are committed to providing a one-of-a-kind conference experience that will empower students to be innovative, be ambitious, and be fearless. 

About SeventySix Capital

SeventySix Capital is a sports-focused venture capital company that has been building sports technology companies for over two decades and leverages that experience through its Sports Advisory consulting group. SeventySix Capital also has its Athlete Venture Group, which allows current and former players to invest, learn, and work directly with top sports startups and entrepreneurs. To learn more about SeventySix Capital, visit seventysixcapital.com.

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SeventySix Capital Invests in Ludis Analytics

SeventySix Capital Invests in Ludis Analytics

Sports Data science platform expanding its product offerings into Web3

Conshohocken, PA | April 27 2022 | Today, SeventySix Capital announced that it has invested in Ludis Analytics, an end-to-end data science platform that helps accelerate analytics across organizations, trusted by sports teams across the globe.

Ludis provides out-of-the-box data science tools that enable sports team staff to focus on advancing their competitive advantages and developing winning strategies. Ludis’ platform centralizes disparate sources of data to help organizations deploy sophisticated analyses in a low-code environment. Other features of the platform include built-in machine learning algorithms, collaborative DIY data science tools, secure data storage, and robust visualization libraries. 

The company’s funding round follows successful partnerships with leading basketball, rugby, cricket, AFL, and netball teams across Australia, Japan, and the United States. SeventySix Capital’s investment in Ludis will enable the company to expand its offerings into Web3 analytics. 

"Receiving funding from SeventySix Capital is important for us,” commented Ludis CEO Vala Dormiani. “The team at SeventySix Capital has experience and relationships in the sports industry to help us grow our customer base in elite teams and leagues in the U.S.”

“We are thrilled to back Ludis and transform how sports organizations use data,” said SeventySix Capital’s Managing Partner Wayne Kimmel. “As teams seek a competitive edge, Ludis’ innovative data analytics platform can deliver impactful results on and off the field.”

Ludis Analytics is led by Vala Dormiani, Bo Nam, Anthony Musumeci, and Samir Pujari. As well as SeventySix Capital, investors in Ludis Analytics include Raptor Group, a co-investor with SeventySix Capital in peer-to-peer wagering company Lucra Sports, along with Translink, Black Mountain Ventures, IgniteXL Ventures, and multiple elite athletes.

About Ludis

Ludis is a California-based technology company empowering any organization to draw effective, accessible insights through a streamlined, end-to-end data science platform, letting customers accelerate their analytics capabilities without having to hire software engineers. Ludis provides a unique, customizable product that integrates data ingestion, manipulation, visualization, and executive-level insights in one location. Ludis is trusted by sporting teams and organizations across three continents and a range of market sectors. Visit www.ludisanalytics.com to learn more.

About SeventySix Capital

SeventySix Capital is a sports-focused venture capital company that has been building sports technology companies for over two decades and leverages that experience through its Sports Advisory consulting group. SeventySix Capital also has its Athlete Venture Group, which allows current and former players to invest, learn, and work directly with top sports startups and entrepreneurs. To learn more about SeventySix Capital, please visit www.seventysixcapital.com.

U.S. Integrity Receives Strategic Investment from Las Vegas Sands

U.S. Integrity Receives Strategic Investment from Las Vegas Sands

Investment will help expand U.S. Integrity’s Sports Betting regulatory and compliance services

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 19, 2022) – U.S. Integrity, a technology and data-driven analytics company that monitors for match-fixing, game manipulation, and other unethical or illegal sports betting-related activity for professional sports leagues, collegiate properties conferences, licensed sports-betting operators and regulators, announced it has received an investment from Las Vegas Sands, the world’s leading developer and operator of integrated resorts. 

The investment will enable U.S. Integrity to continue developing a unique regulatory technology platform to service the needs of key stakeholders across the online gaming and sports betting industry. The platform is designed to identify potentially problematic bets as close to real time as possible in order to ensure the integrity of sports globally. U.S. Integrity will provide their next generation platform to teams, leagues, operators and regulators to enable proactive intervention.

“U.S. Integrity’s mission is to help grow the legal, regulated sports betting market by providing solutions that ensure sports betting integrity in every play, every game, and every sport,”  said Matthew Holt, U.S. Integrity’s Chief Executive Officer.  “The strategic investment from Sands will help us expand our capabilities and develop new innovative products and services to bring transparency and peace of mind to our growing list of clients.”

U.S. Integrity provides transparency, insights and anomaly detection services via customizable dashboards for its clients.

The terms of the investment were not disclosed.

For more information please visit USIntegrity.com.

About U.S. Integrity

U.S. Integrity is a leading technology-driven sports wagering monitoring company, providing the highest level of protection against betting-related fraud and corruption. Supported by investors including SeventySix Capital, U.S. Integrity’s mission is to grow the legal, regulated sports betting market by providing solutions that ensure sports betting integrity in every play, every game, every sport. U.S. Integrity partners with a number of the largest professional sports leagues and collegiate properties in the U.S., as well as licensed sports-betting operators and regulators. U.S. Integrity is based in Las Vegas and New York. For additional information, visit www.usintegrity.com.

SeventySix Capital Named Title Sponsor of Maryland Sports Business Conference

SeventySix Capital Named Title Sponsor of Maryland Sports Business Conference

Maryland grad Wayne Kimmel is supporting the next generation of sports business leaders

College Park, MD - April 4, 2022 - The Sports Business Society at the University of Maryland announced today that SeventySix Capital will be the official title sponsor for the 2022 Maryland Sports Business Conference. 

The 2022 Maryland Sports Business Conference presented by SeventySix Capital will take place on May 6th in the Jones-Hill House, the new home of University of Maryland Football. SeventySix Capital will host a panel discussion during the conference titled “Game-Changing Technologies,” moderated by Wayne Kimmel. Panelists include executives from Playfly Sports, sports agent and Rubicon Talent Partner Peter Raskin, a 1993 alum, as well as representatives from SeventySix Capital’s portfolio companies, including FORTË CEO and 2006 alum Lauren Foundos.

"We couldn’t be more excited to partner with SeventySix Capital as we look for more opportunities to enhance the student experience on campus," said Bradley Polkowitz, Co-Founder and President of the Maryland Sports Business Conference. "Working with them has allowed us to expand our network, provide internship opportunities to students, and level up this year's conference!"

“As a proud Terp, I am truly honored to support this conference," Wayne Kimmel, Managing Partner of SeventySix Capital and 1992 University of Maryland alum, commented. “Our team at SeventySix Capital is focused on helping to create the next generation of sports business entrepreneurs and leaders.” 

The conference will feature an impressive roster of speakers from various sectors of the sports industry, offering attendees networking opportunities, breakout sessions, and more. For the second consecutive year, the Maryland Sports Business Conference will also be working with Special Olympics Maryland to raise funds and awareness to support its athletes. Tickets are available for purchase online. More information about the event can be found on Instagram. 

About SeventySix Capital

SeventySix Capital is a sports-focused venture capital company that has been building sports technology companies for over two decades and leverages that experience through its Sports Advisory consulting group. SeventySix Capital also has its Athlete Venture Group, which allows current and former players to invest, learn, and work directly with top sports startups and entrepreneurs. To learn more about SeventySix Capital, please visit www.seventysixcapital.com.

About Maryland Sports Business Conference

The Maryland Sports Business Conference was created in 2020 by undergraduate students in the Sports Business Society at the University of Maryland. They aim to increase awareness around sports business and educate students about the vast possibilities within this career field. They strive to foster a diverse and inclusive sports community, and connect their students with sports business professionals and organizations. The 2022 Maryland Sports Business Conference presented by SeventySix Capital will empower students to be innovative, be ambitious, and be fearless.

About Maryland Sports Business Conference’s Student Leaders

The Maryland Sports Business Conference is entirely student-led and organized by undergraduate students representing diverse majors, backgrounds, and interests. Led by Bradley Polkowitz (‘23, OMBA & Marketing), Rachel Levitt (‘22, Marketing), Joshua Liu (‘24, Finance & Marketing), and Abby Horick (‘23, Marketing), the team of twelve exceptional students are committed to providing a one-of-a-kind conference experience that will empower students to be innovative, be ambitious, and be fearless.