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A new chapter is emerging in Lausanne, the Olympic Capital — and it’s far from your typical federation fairytale. In this third edition of Featured by SportsTechX, we spotlight longtime partner ThinkSport, now embarking on a refreshed mission with a clear focus. 

🎙️ThinkSport 2.0: Rewiring the DNA of Sports Innovation from Lausanne, the Olympic Capital

ThinkSport, long a quiet connector in the global sports landscape, is stepping into a new era. With a fresh agenda, new leadership, and an ambitious international mission, ThinkSport 2.0 is changing from a network facilitator to a full-blown innovation engine.

And we got the first hand download straight from Director General Claudine Breton on the Sports Tech Allstars Podcast.

🔍 Highlights from the Episode

Gone are the days of passive panels and recycled buzzwords. Claudine and her team are creating hands-on, impact-driven pipelines:

• Workshops to uncover real pain points inside sports orgs

• Open challenges for global startups to bring their solutions

• Prototyping labs to test innovations with real federations

• Student innovation sprints in partnership with FIBA, ISU & more

And yes, it’s all culminating on the ground at The Spot - ThinkSport’s flagship event in Lausanne that is quickly becoming the SXSW of sports innovation.

💬 Innovation with a Human Touch

What sets ThinkSport apart isn’t just the pipeline, it’s the personalization. Claudine’s leadership style, grounded in storytelling and strategic clarity, breathes life into the institutional world of sports governance. She understands resistance. She’s seen budget constraints. And she knows how to build momentum.

That’s why ThinkSport isn’t just working with international federations—they’re embedding innovation into clubs, leagues, cities, and even fans and students. From carbon fiber tech to circular economy gear to esports inclusion, the focus is expansive yet precise.

Fierce belief in collaborative advantage

In just the past year, ThinkSport has launched collaborations from Lausanne to Hong Kong and back.

At the Hong Kong innovation challenge, over 100+ startups applied to tackle issues in AI, robotics, and the future of play. And these weren’t just theoretical entries, they’re now entering phase two of prototyping with real federations.

Finalists from these calls will pitch at The Spot, ThinkSport’s flagship event in Lausanne.

🧑‍💻 What Startups Should Know

• No limits by geography or funding stage

• Applications are reviewed by experts and the Sports Innovation Board

• 20 startups pitch live; 5 make the final stage

• Winners don’t just win- they get built into the testing cycle with partners

With eyes already set on international expansion of The Spot, deeper integrations into health tech, and startup pilots potentially rolling into Cortina Milano 2026, ThinkSport is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s becoming the operating system for innovation across global sport.

🕒 10 DAYS TO GO: Sports Tech Bootcamp 2.0

Only 20 spots in this cohort!

🔐 If you're interested to learn more about the fast changing sports innovation landscape and get an insider key into this industry, keep reading.

⏩ Starting this May, over 6 weeks, Team SportsTechX will help you get up to speed with the latest in sports innovation and technology.

✅ You will get:

• 20+ hours of content

• Live sessions with top industry experts who are leading global VC Firms, Sports Teams, Innovation Initiatives, Startups, Sports Orgs and more.

• 1-on-1 career advice

• Access to our exclusive Sports Tech Network

• Lifelong networking access with participants from all Bootcamp cohorts

• SportsTechDB (Database) access

• Help with internship placements, if required

What content will we cover? Comprehensive overview of the Global Sports Tech landscape, key developments, investments, current and future trends in Sports Innovation, real world use cases, studies and live examples

How much does it cost? Priced at € 849.

Fill in the application form below and tell us why you're interested in this program.

Application Deadline: 1 May, 2025

📥 Download: Indian Sports Business and Tech Report 2025

Launched last month, our latest report delivers an in-depth look into India's fast-changing sports business and innovation landscape.

Key findings from the report:

• India Ranks 2nd in Global Sports Tech Investment by Country since 2020.

• 7000+ Total number of active Global SportsTech Startups, with 350+ from India, ranking 3rd in the world for number of startups.

• 37 global unicorns in Sports Tech out of which 4 are from India.

• Mumbai tops Sports Tech investment value in India with total deals over $1.8 billion.

• Bangalore tops the total number of funded startups in India with 33 companies.

If you want to learn more about this underrated Sports Innovation ecosystem then be sure to…

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