FALL 2023 COHORT APPLICATION OPENING

Accelerator

The Accelerator is designed to launch sports and esports startups to the next level, through the combination of investment, mentoring, and connections to top industry executives in North America and across the world.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

We are looking for...

  • Startups from Seed to Series A in the sports or esports space with a vision to commercialize globally.
  • Businesses with traction against their product or service in the form of pilots, betas, channel partners, revenue, IP, customers, clients, proof of concept, downloads and/or MAU.
  •  Businesses focused on :
    • Lifestyle And Recreation
    • Performace and Wellness
    • Fan Engagement and Experince
    • Content, Media, and Entertainment
    • Esports
    • Sports Betting
  • Applicants who have at least one full-time founder who can dedicate significant time to the program for 14 weeks.
  • Founders with deep expertise in their industry who are open to mentorship and believe the right connections can expedite their company growth.

WHY YOU SHOULD APPLY

Joining the Stadia Accelerator will give you the opportunity to…

  • Engage with a global network over 7,000 strong
  • Connect with like-minded founders in an intimate environment that fosters meaningful relationships
  • Gain exposure to expert mentorship and guidance that is pure velocity to your organization
  • Receive capital through our initial $100,000 investment and potential follow-on investments

Watch video to learn more

The Program

The 14-week program consists of

Sports & Esports Content

A specialized focus on business development and commercialization for companies in sports and esports, Stadia delivers the advice you need, on the markets you serve.

Dynamic Experience

Small cohorts ensure a rich experience, aligning you with entrepreneur peers facing the same challenges at a similar stage.

Hybrid Schedule

A mix of virtual Zoom meetings and getting together in-person

Exclusive Guest Speakers

A customized tour of the sports ecosystem with the opportunity to learn from the brightest minds in business as they share their unique insights and guidance

Bespoke Mentor Teams

Each cohort company is surrounded by a hand-selected group of experienced mentors to guide them through the Accelerator Program… and often long after the accelerator program

Partner Round Tables

Interactive sessions with trusted experts on topics from marketing, legal services, financial planning, technology resources and more.

Watch Video To Hear From Our Finalist Pitch Day Judges

The Investment

At Stadia, we invest in two different phases:

Initial accelerator investments
  • Made when each company comes through our program
Subsequent follow on investments
  • Made in high performing portfolio companies post-accelerator

The initial accelerator investment has two distinct parts:

Cash Investment
  • A cash investment up to $100,000 USD
Sweat Equity
  • A sweat equity investment equal to 3x the cash investment

THE PROCESS

Application Window October - November
Round 1 Beginning of December
Round 2 Beginning of January
Round 3 Beginning of February
Accelerator Program March - May
Application Window October - November

Accepting applications for the upcoming cohort

Round 1 Beginning of December

Phase one due diligence + host one-hour video calls with the top companies

Round 2 Beginning of January

Phase two due diligence and founder participation at our live Finalist Pitch Day.

Round 3 Beginning of February

Final cohort selection and the investment process

Accelerator Program March - May

Selected companies complete the 14-week Accelerator Program

Frequently Asked Questions

Stadia supports and invests in seed to Series A companies that are involved in the following categories: human performance, health and wellness, fan engagement, the future of media, infrastructure of esports, gaming/gambling, and coaching a training. Startup that leverage such technologies as AR/VR, computer vision and machine learning, AI, blockchain, and more, are considered. We prefer companies with some traction in the form of pilots, betas, proofs of concept, revenue, MAUs, downloads, customers, clients, or channel partners. That way we’re investing in accelerating a business as opposed to funding a prototype.

While there may be some overlap between companies in terms of target markets, marketing strategies, etc., it is highly unlikely that a cohort of five companies would include two that are competitors. Our goal is to maximize the value of all of our companies so we typically avoid such conflicts.

Stadia is designed to make follow-on investments into portfolio companies that demonstrate efficient growth and intimate knowledge of their customers.

You don’t need to write a business plan, but our application requires a lot of the same information. Primarily, it is important for you to be able to concisely communicate all of the key factors that are normally included in a business plan. Also keep in mind that all finalists in the Top 20 will have a video conference call with the team, and at the Top 10 stage pitch in front of industry experts, investors and sports & esports business executives.

In each application cycle, Stadia receives 150-250 applications from all over the world. The companies that advance in the process can succinctly describe their value proposition, have at least one full-time founder who is eager for mentorship, and have traction that Stadia Ventures can help to repeat.

At least one founder needs to dedicate about 10 hours each week for 14 weeks for the program. Programming is set every other week (Wednesday through Friday) and there will be homework with your team and mentor team every week including a mentor team meeting each Friday. These meetings will be a mix of virtual and in-person sessions. Founders are responsible for travel and accommodations.

Stadia Accelerator receives several hundred applications each year so it’s impossible to sign an NDA with everyone. We encourage you to apply to our accelerator, but urge you not to disclose any information that’s proprietary. Get us fired up about your business without giving away the recipe to your secret sauce.