Inside the Australian Open's Sports Tech VC and Accelerator
The 2026 Australian Open (AO) main draw will kick off in Melbourne on January 18.
Less known is that the Australian Open has recently established a venture ecosystem focused on 'tech + sports', consisting primarily of the venture capital fund AO Ventures and the accelerator AO Startups — the latter now in its fourth year, having included 32 innovative projects to date.
Origins: Wildcard Ventures
The Australian Open's support for sports tech innovation began with the launch of Wildcard Ventures in 2021. In July of that year, Tennis Australia announced it would follow the model of the NFL, NBA, and MLB by launching its own venture capital fund to support sports tech startups.
Wildcard Ventures focuses on investing in early-stage startups in sports, health, and entertainment technology. The fund's two partners are Todd Deacon, Managing Director of US tech accelerator Techstars, and Machar Reid, Tennis Australia's Innovation Director.
The fund's first investment was SwingVision:
SwingVision, headquartered in San Mateo, California, is an AI-powered smart tennis/pickleball training analysis app that received early personal investments from athletes like Andy Roddick. In April 2022, SwingVision secured $2 million in funding led by Wildcard Ventures. A year later, SwingVision raised another $6 million, led by Authentic Ventures, with Lindsay Davenport and others participating in the round.
Accelerator: AO Startups
In November 2022, the Australian Open went a step further, officially launching the AO Startups accelerator program. Its first cohort of seven startups were able to test their technologies during the 2023 Australian Open and gain global exposure.
To date, AO Startups has successfully run three cohorts, hosting a total of 32 projects. Applications for the fourth cohort (2025/26) closed on November 30, 2025, with the selected list expected to be announced just before the 2026 Australian Open.
Upgrade: AO Ventures
In January 2025, AO Ventures was officially launched as the second fund under Wildcard Ventures, completing an initial raise of $30 million (some reports indicate the total size, including commitments, is close to $50 million). Individual investments range from $300,000 to $1.5 million.
AO Startups and AO Ventures operate in a closed loop: the former scouts for promising projects, while the latter invests in high-quality ones.
Focus on Three Tracks
AO Ventures and AO Startups primarily target tech-driven innovative enterprises, with investment and incubation directions broadly falling into three categories:
(1) AI Sports Projects: Innovative enterprises transforming sports through AI technology.
(2) Event Experience: Innovative enterprises in venues, media, fan engagement, and event management.
(3) "Wildcard Projects": Enterprises whose products or experiences, while not falling into the core areas above, still bring revolutionary changes to sports, entertainment, health, or sustainability.
For example, among the latest cohort announced in January 2025, 12 innovative companies from around the world are as follows:
Volta (UK): Volta's technology can turn any stage, live stream, or screen into a global interactive experience.
Oho (Australia): Automated screening services focused on care and community health.
exar.live (UK): Redefines entertainment viewing experiences with its state-of-the-art real-time data transmission and display engine.
INTIX (Australia): Australia's largest independent sports ticketing solutions provider.
Foodini (Australia): An app that helps users quickly match food based on special dietary needs.
Scala Sports (Netherlands): A racket sports app focused on increasing participation and engagement among amateur players.
Lumi (Australia): Visualization software built for the TV, entertainment, and sports content industry.
LILA (Malaysia): An AI-driven wearable smart resistance training system that helps users improve athletic performance.
Back Sync (Australia): Innovative products focused on spinal health.
New Stream (Israel): AI biomechanical analysis solutions using cutting-edge motion capture products.
Electrokare (USA): Provides health solutions through personalized electrolyte information from existing wearable devices.
Grandstand (USA): An AI-driven studio. It helps athletes engage with fans and create new revenue streams by automatically tracking matches and results, collecting relevant media, and generating highlights and prompts, making it easy for athletes to use social media.
| Information and image sources: AO Startups, AO Ventures, Australian Open official website