Oslo, February 2025 — More than forty founders, executives and researchers braved a snowy Oslo morning for the first-ever Groundbreakers Meetup, co-hosted by Norwegian Sport Tech and the Global Sports Innovation Center (GSIC) powered by Microsoft. The invite-only gathering paired Norway’s fast-growing sport-technology ecosystem with GSIC’s international member network for a full day of problem-solving, pitching and foresight.
Opening remarks & keynote insights
Martin S. Bekken (Microsoft) set the tone with lessons from his recent immersion tour of Premier League clubs, highlighting the data-ops breakthroughs powering match-day decisions.
Juan Fuentes Fernández (LaLiga / Sportian) outlined LaLiga’s open-innovation programme and showed how Sportian’s cloud stack is scaling fan-engagement tools across multiple sports.
Company | Focus | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
APIIR | Sponsorship analytics | CEO Elias Omar Trane |
Foocus.ai | AI camera tracking for grassroots sport | CEO Glenn Myklebust |
SportAI | Predictive performance analytics | CEO Lauren Pedersen |
Moca 3D | Motion-capture for injury prevention | CEO Emil Laheld Carlsen |
FLXBL.no | Digital flexibility & mobility training | CEO Marianne Bryne Dalane |
Hoopit | Community platform for youth basketball | CEO Harald Næss |
Lyymp (Bestr.no) | Live-streaming marketplace for local sport | CEO Fredrik Bjørgan |
GSIC member showcases
Fan Apps – CEO Anrijs Brencans demonstrated a GDPR-ready fan-data engine that converts engagement into revenue.
Collective Innovation – Founder Håkon Ege (also a Norwegian Sport Tech board member) presented the company’s Competence Hub model for upskilling athletes and sport professionals in innovation.
Ultrax – Lana Bilobrk previewed a non-invasive cardiac monitoring patch approved for in-game use.
Twelve Football – CEO Marcus Lådö unveiled an AI tool that grades every youth-match action to accelerate scouting.
Foresight session
Advisory-board chair Kazım Sarı challenged delegates to decide whether they wished to “shape the future of sport or the sport of the future”, leading an interactive exercise on strategic foresight and scenario building.
Networking & Nordic collaboration
After eight hours of rapid-fire sessions, GSIC representatives joined participants from the Nordic Made Sport Innovation Initiative (Finland, Denmark, Latvia, Sweden and Norway) for an informal evening cruise on Oslofjord—cementing partnerships and sketching joint projects over fjord prawns and cloudberry desserts.
Why it matters
Groundbreakers Meetup demonstrated the depth and maturity of the Nordic sport-tech corridor while giving local start-ups direct access to LaLiga, Sportian and Microsoft decision-makers. Follow-up workshops will track pilot opportunities, proof-of-concept deployments and cross-border funding bids sparked by the event.
For news on upcoming Groundbreakers sessions or to join the Norwegian Sport Tech community, please contact havard@norwegiansporttech.com.
Groundbreakers Meetup Oslo was co-organised by Norwegian Sport Tech and GSIC Powered by Microsoft.
