SBC is delighted to announce that the application period for the highly-anticipated SBC Summit North America First Pitch competition is now officially open and will continue until Mar. 31.

By offering this opportunity, SBC provides a unique platform for start-ups in the sports betting and iGaming industry to showcase their innovative products and present their business ideas in front of leading experts and investors. The start-up competition will take place at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey and be part of the “Emerging Tech & Investment” conference track on May. 10.

The five US-based start-ups that meet the eligibility criteria and present the most ground-breaking ideas will be selected to compete by an independent panel of expert judges, which will be assembled by SBC within the next month. The winner will receive a prize package of services currently valued at over $35,000 to aid their development and growth plans. At the moment, the package, which will be further enriched by the time of the competition, includes the following:

– A 6-month Sports & Emerging Verticals subscription by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, a research and consulting firm that serves the gaming equipment, interactive gaming, and sports betting sectors (worth $25,000),
– a promotional package from SBC Media worth $12,000, which includes six months of advertising on SBC Americas, newsletter advertising, and two featured editorials promoting the business (valued at $12,000),
– an exclusive brand or web design package from Vegas Kings, the leading iGaming design and development agency (worth $2,800)

Sue Schneider, VP of Growth and Strategy at SBC, said, “As an industry veteran, iGaming and sports betting have been amazing businesses to watch grow. This competition is particularly special as it allows us, here at SBC, to support all the bright minds out there who are savvy enough to think of ways to improve our industry in one way or another.

“This competition has been very successful in introducing start-ups to the right people in the industry. It allows the competitors to be the center of attention during the pitch in a room full of potential clients and investors. Even though there is a prize fund attached to this opportunity, this is the part I consider priceless.”

To be eligible, start-ups must have been founded no earlier than 2020, be focused on sports betting or iGaming, be seeking investment of at least $500,000, and have raised no more than $5m of outside financing.

The shortlisted companies chosen by the judging panel should be able to send at least one representative from the company to showcase the product on May. 10 at the SBC Summit North America.

The inaugural First Pitch competition had two joint winners: the Parleh Media Group, a Canadian digital media specialist and currently SBC Summit North America’s media partner, and SharpRank, a Maryland-based independent sports betting ratings agency.

Last year’s competition crowned BetSwap as the winner, which is an integrated marketplace platform that allows users of a sportsbook or DFS platform to buy and sell active bets or DFS entries within a secondary marketplace while remaining within the confines of the operator platform.

The deadline for applications is midnight ET on March 31, 2023. Head to the official SBC Summit North America First Pitch page to submit your entry.

The five finalists will be announced on Apr. 17, 2023.