MATCHi to participate in Tennis Australia startup incubator program

Swedish-based sports tech startup MATCHi will participate in Tennis Australia’s AO StartUps program, which helps companies pilot their new tech at the Australian Open and other events.

Founded in 2012, MATCHi aims to connect racket sports players with venues worldwide. MATCHi’s innovative tech provides opportunities for both players and venue owners. Players can get more chances to hone their skills, while venue owners will see a significant increase in occupancy.

MATCHi also supports venues in hosting racket sports tournaments through the Padelboard app.

Currently, MATCHi operates in 30 countries across the globe, with more than 2,600 venues on the company’s active list. Using the Padelboard app, these venues can choose whether to organise tournaments or let players take charge.

Tennis Australia head of innovation Machar Reid said the organisation included MATCHi in its new program because it saw a “huge potential” in the Swedish startup. Reid added that MATCHi’s user-friendly features could help boost racket sports participation across Australia.

“An important milestone”

MATCHi chief executive officer Daniel Ekman expressed his delight about the startup’s participation in AO StartUps.

“Joining forces with Tennis and Padel Australia is an important milestone on our path towards being the obvious platform for the global racquet sports community,” Ekman said.

“We are stoked to have this opportunity to help drive racquet sports engagement in one of the top markets in the world.”

The AO StartUps program, which comes after Tennis Australia launched its venture capital fund Wildcard Ventures, will help participants to test their business models in real time. The program also offers intel and exposure to one of the world’s largest sports industries.

Tennis Australia explained that AO StartUps could help participating startups realise their full potential. The program also helps streamline corporate processes that may hamper innovations. Furthermore, these startups may get an opportunity to be funded by Wildcard Ventures in the future.