May 15, 2025
Toronto, ON — May 15, 2025 — Future of Sport Lab (FSL), Canada’s premier SportsTech accelerator, announced today the selection of ten innovative startups for its acclaimed incubator program. This year’s cohort features a diverse range of ventures spanning AI, athlete training, fan engagement, wearable technology, and athlete wellness — including several Canadian-founded companies and a startup led by former NHL star Mike Weaver and Canadian Olympian Jill Moffatt.
Chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants, these startups will receive immersive programming designed to fast-track growth and innovation. Founders will gain access to industry experts, mentorship from sport leaders, and connections to FSL’s robust network of academic and corporate partners. Each startup will culminate its journey with a final pitch presentation to leading Canadian investors and industry executives.
Foundational partner Relay Ventures has also committed to investing in select startups from the cohort, further accelerating their path to market.
CoachThem (Toronto, ON): A digital coaching platform created by former NHL players Mike Weaver and Robb Tallas. Trusted by NHL teams, Hockey Canada, and thousands of coaches worldwide, CoachThem streamlines practice planning with intuitive tools that drive player development and coaching efficiency.
Coordle (Baltimore, MD): Transforming group travel and sports tourism, Coordle offers a centralized platform that connects teams and participants with local businesses while simplifying logistics.
Elev8 & Perform (Markham, ON): Wearable technology that boosts cardiovascular health, accelerates recovery, and enhances performance using quantum nano biomaterials and AI-powered smart imaging and analytics.
HooperIQ (Calgary, AB): The first AI-powered basketball IQ training platform, helping athletes master decision-making through personalized quizzes, film analysis, and automated game breakdowns.
Iron Lady Golf (Toronto, ON): Founded by PGA professional Lindsay Knowlton, Iron Lady Golf fosters an empowering community for women, having engaged over 30,000 participants through inclusive, confidence-building golf experiences.
FanMore (Toronto,ON): A fan loyalty and rewards platform helping teams engage the untapped 90% of fans not in stadiums, creating new revenue streams for sponsors and organizations.
Lubu Technologies (Los Angeles, CA): AI-powered smart insoles that transform any shoe into a gait lab, helping athletes prevent injuries, optimize performance, and refine technique.
MOMentum (Ottawa, ON): Founded by Olympians and Paralympians, MOMentum supports elite athlete mothers with financial grants, advocacy, and community resources to ensure family planning is never a barrier to success in sport.
Shake (Washington, DC): A free-to-play platform delivering real rewards and simple, fun fan experiences through sports and entertainment event aggregation, built for friends to enjoy together.
The Playbook (Minneapolis, MN): An award-winning mental health platform for athletes and teams, The Playbook tracks stress, well-being, and resilience, providing actionable plans to foster athlete wellness.
Since its inception in 2015, FSL has become the global launchpad for Canadian sport innovation. Collectively, FSL startups have raised more than $100 million in funding and secured high-profile partnerships across the sports and entertainment sectors. Delivered in partnership with leading business incubator DMZ, the program offers unparalleled access to academic resources and business expertise.
"Canada has such a passionate and innovative sport tech community, and we are also thrilled to see so many athletes transitioning to entrepreneurship. We are looking forward to working with all of these inspiring founders and connecting them to FSL’s network of sport leaders to help drive their success," said Dr. Cheri Bradish, Founder and Managing Director of FSL. "As FSL marks its 10th year of advancing sport innovation, this exciting new cohort underscores our mission to continue to shape the future of sport and technology here in Canada and on the global stage."
“We’re thrilled to enter another year as partners with the Future of Sport Lab, supporting a new wave of sport tech innovation across North America,” said Emily McIlquham, Associate at Relay Ventures. “This cohort brings a strong and diverse group of founders who are driving innovation across many facets of the sports ecosystem. Their drive, expertise, and ambition to disrupt traditional models are exactly what the Future of Sport Lab and Relay Ventures seek to support.”
With an overwhelming response from women entrepreneurs during the recent application period, which accounted for more than 40 per cent of all applications, Future of Sport Lab has also announced the launch of a new accelerator program - FSLW - specifically dedicated to supporting female founders in the sport tech industry.
“We’ve seen firsthand how women founders in sport tech have had to navigate unique challenges — from accessing capital to breaking into traditionally male-dominated networks,” said Dr. Cheri Bradish, Founder and Managing Director of FSL. “This program is about changing that narrative. We’re creating a space where women entrepreneurs are supported, celebrated, and connected to the people and resources that will help them thrive.”
The Future of Sport Lab (FSL) is a collaborative lab for sport innovation first established by Toronto Metropolitan University and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) with support from DMZ. FSL is widely recognized as Canada’s global leader in sport innovation, creating an ecosystem that connects sport properties, industry partners, entrepreneurs, investors, thought leaders and scholars. Supported by an unmatched network of more than 20 senior industry advisors from leading sport organizations and stakeholders, FSL has fostered a number of diverse innovative sport solutions and technologies as well as related insights and education, and to date, startups through the program have raised over $100 million in new financing and investments along with securing a number of significant sport business partnerships.
Relay Ventures, founded in 2008, is one of Canada’s leading independent VC fund managers. The Firm is presently investing out of its fifth fund which commenced in 2022. It has invested in more than 130 companies and successfully exited more than half through M&A and IPO. The Firm has a team of 15 professionals with offices in Toronto, Calgary, and San Francisco.
Media Contact:
Greg McIsaac
Future of Sport Lab
