SOURCE: Sports & Fitness Industry Association
$15,000 Reward Added to Grand Prize Winner at Denver Summit
SILVER SPRING, MD (June 27, 2018) – Black Lab Sports, a venture capital firm and innovation hub known for participating in various start-ups in the sports and fitness industry, has pledged an additional $15,000 in venture capital to the winner of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) Start-Up Challenge. While the grand prize consists of an all-expense-paid trip to spend the day with the Under Armour Innovation Team at Under Armour global headquarters, the added cash prize provides a financial safety net for the winning start-up, as well as connections to a successful, experienced venture capitalist firm.
"SFIA's Startup Challenge is fully aligned with our global vision supporting innovation and helping ThinkerDoers turn their thoughts into reality,” said JP O'Brien, Founder and CEO of Black Lab Sports.
The SFIA will be hosting the 3rd annual Start-Up Challenge in Denver, Colorado at the SFIA Industry Leaders Summit on September 26, 2018. The competition has gained nationwide recognition, as the previous challenge finalists have gone on to raise upwards of $120 million. The audience and network that the Industry Leaders Summit provides for these start-up companies is unparalleled – the event exclusively attracts C-level executives of sports and fitness companies, brands and retailers, as well as industry experts and investors. As the competition improves and intensifies each year, SFIA also continues to grow the benefits and winnings accordingly, to ensure well-deserved opportunities and prizes for the selected entrepreneurs who make it to Denver.
“We’re excited to team up with Black Lab Sports to reward entrepreneurship and innovation on what we believe is one of the brightest stages in the sports and fitness industry,” said John Peters, Vice President of Business Development at SFIA. “In just two years, we’ve received applications from over 20 countries. With Black Lab Sports sweetening the prize with a no-strings-attached $15,000 reward, we can’t wait to see the response from the start-up community.”
For more information on Black Lab Sports, visit https://www.blacklabsports.com/and for more information on the Sports Fitness Industry Association, visit,https://www.sfia.org/.
About Black Lab Sports
Black Lab Sports, a venture capital firm and innovation hub, is known for investing in various start-ups in the sports and fitness industry, at all different stages of maturity. The firm is comprised of a committed network of professional athletes, coaches, investors, entrepreneurs, marketers and operators, all with a focus on, and passion in, the sports industry. Their “give first” philosophy allows them to assist in accelerating the growth of a start-up, as they provide hands-on strategic, operational and analytic support, as well as access to their roster of industry experts. The partnership with, and support of, Black Lab Sports will create a competition platform unlike any other in the history of the Start-Up Challenge.
ABOUT SFIA:
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), the #1 source for sport and fitness research, is the leading global trade association of manufacturers, retailers, and marketers in the sports products and fitness industry. SFIA seeks to promote sports and fitness participation, as well as industry vitality through research, thought leadership, public affairs, industry affairs and member services. For more information, please visit www.sfia.org.
