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SportsTech AI insights – How to build, scale & exit in Sports Technology
What truly moves the needle when it comes to enterprise value in SportsTech?
Munich, March 4th, 2026 | Sports technology is rapidly transforming how companies innovate, scale, and create value. What began with simple tracking systems has evolved into a powerful ecosystem of wearables, sensors, data platforms, and AI‑driven solutions. This transformation is strongly bolstered by Artificial Intelligence, which is increasingly embedded across training, operations, and commercial models.
OMMAX and Lincoln International hosted an exclusive event bringing together senior decision‑makers from Private Equity, SportsTech, and corporate leadership. The event focused on how to build, scale, and successfully exit SportsTech businesses, combining investor perspectives with real‑world operator insights.
During the event, macro trends, M&A insights, and a live demonstration of sensor-powered AI in professional football set the stage for a broader strategic discussion. The overarching conclusion: SportsTech is entering a phase where valuation and scalability are increasingly driven by proprietary data advantage, workflow-embedded AI, and operational readiness for institutional ownership. The most attractive companies are not “AI-themed,” but AI-proven – with measurable impact on performance, decisioning, margins, and growth. The quality and commitment of the founders and operational management, of course, also remain a key ingredient.
Dr. Stefan Sambol, Founding Partner at OMMAX:
“AI doesn’t create value by itself. When physical touchpoints, data, and AI form one integrated system, that’s when defensible value is created.”
Our speakers & panelists
- Paul Schif (Co-Founder, Athletes Alliance & CEO, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation)
- Fabian Bruegmann (CFO, Urban Sports Club)
- Peter Kroha (Partner, InVision)
- Björn Bezemer (Co-Founder & Managing Director, ROOF)
- Dr. Alexander Hüttenbrink (Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Kinexon)
- Monika Nickl (Managing Director & European Co-Head of Consumer, Lincoln International)
- Moderators: Dr. Stefan Sambol (Founding Partner, OMMAX) and Isabella Calderon Hoyos (Partner Transaction Advisory & Strategy, OMMAX)
10 key insights from the event
1. SportsTech is entering a structurally higher-growth phase
The global sports technology market is projected to grow from €23.7 billion in 2025 to €46.8 billion by 2030, reflecting a CAGR of 14.5%. Growth is increasingly driven by sports analytics, wearable technology, and fan engagement, as Europe transitions into a structurally higher-growth phase, following in the footsteps of the US. This is not cyclical momentum; it reflects a long-term shift in how sports organizations operate and monetize data.
2. Investor confidence remains strong, but SportsTech moves with market cycles
The SportsTech sector continues to attract capital and benefits from long-term trends such as digitalization, data monetization, and AI-driven performance optimization. At the same time, SportsTech is not immune to macroeconomic and geopolitical movements. The index development over recent years shows that the segment correlates with the broader market sentiment but also rebounds strongly when adoption and growth accelerate. The post-COVID surge in digital fitness and fan engagement is a clear example of how quickly capital returns once structural demand becomes evident again. For investors, this reinforces the message: SportsTech is a growth category with strong long-term conviction; however, timing, execution quality, and business model resilience matter.
3. The U.S. has proven the model; Europe is the next growth frontier
The U.S. sports technology market has already demonstrated how powerful the intersection of innovation, capital, and ecosystem integration can be. Wearables, fan engagement platforms, and analytics providers have scaled to meaningful size, supported by strong league partnerships, deep media integration, and substantial capital inflows.
Europe is following a similar trajectory, albeit trailing behind the US. The ecosystem is expanding, innovation intensity is rising, and investor interest is increasing, particularly as dedicated U.S. funds actively look for opportunities in the region and European funds identify the industry for themselves. For founders and investors, this creates a clear implication: Europe represents an exciting entry point in a structurally growing category. Those who build scalable, defensible models now have the opportunity to shape the next wave of SportsTech value creation.
Isabella Calderon Hoyos, Partner Transaction Advisory & Strategy at OMMAX:
“Great products or apps alone are not enough. What differentiates scalable platforms from interesting products is the ability to generate recurring revenue, consistently increasing profitability, and predictable returns over time.”
4. Proprietary data ownership creates valuation premiums
One of the clearest messages is: data ownership matters more than data access and simple data analytics. Proprietary datasets, such as tracking, biometrics, performance, or fan behavior, create defensibility and pricing power. When combined with applied AI that demonstrably impacts KPIs, this forms a structural moat. In M&A processes, this translates into higher multiples because future revenue streams become more predictable and harder to replicate.
5. Hardware–software integration is becoming a structural moat
As software development becomes more affordable and AI tools more accessible, pure software advantages are eroding. What increasingly differentiates SportsTech leaders is the integration of physical touchpoints, proprietary sensors, and embedded AI into one operational system.
A powerful example was Kinexon’s live demonstration of a soccer ball embedded with a sensor that collects and transmits real-time match data. The system enables referees to determine precisely when a ball was touched – a decisive factor in offside and handball decisions. It has already supported approximately 1,100 offside checks, reduced offside-related interruption time by around 60% (FIFA estimate), and eliminated false offside decisions.
This combination of hardware, real-time data processing, and AI-driven decision support illustrates a key shift: the advantage no longer lies in pure software, but in technology that integrates physical components with data and AI. Such architectures are significantly harder to replicate and create structurally higher entry barriers.
6. The real leverage lies in multi-layer monetization of data
The strategic breakthrough in SportsTech is not data collection alone, but the ability to monetize one data layer across multiple value pools. When the same dataset can serve different stakeholders simultaneously, the company moves from a single-use solution to a platform-based model. Companies that can commercialize one data asset across multiple stakeholder groups deepen integration, strengthen contractual relationships, and increase revenue durability.
Dr. Alexander Hüttenbrink, Co-founder & Co-CEO of Kinexon:
“Milliseconds can change a match. But the real value lies in owning the data layer that turns those milliseconds into decisions.”
7. Buyers pay for recurring, visible revenue
From a transaction perspective, subscription- or SaaS-like multi-year contracts with strong visibility are key for high valuations. In Kinexon’s model, for example, this often translates into contracts of four to five years with recurring revenues in the millions per league and minimal churn. The rule is: Predictability drives valuation.
8. B2B exposure and contract quality outperform pure B2C hype
Investors strongly favor B2B or B2B2C models with long-term partnerships, embedded workflows, and high retention. High switching costs and operational integration create stickiness. In SportsTech, “cool” consumer apps without contractual defensibility and ownership of data rarely achieve premium multiples.
9. Scalable margins and measurable AI impact separate leaders from storytellers
Premium buyers look for high gross margins and consistently increasing margins, operating leverage, and consistent cash generation. AI must translate into P&L impact: faster growth, improved retention, reduced cost-to-serve – not pilot projects. In the current market, diligence rigor quickly exposes “AI hype” that lacks KPI proof.
10. Value is created long before the exit
The Lincoln framework makes it clear: successful exits are the result of long preparation phases.
- From T-18 to T-12 months, companies must build a robust equity story, develop a 3–5 year business plan, define KPI frameworks, create financial transparency, and map buyer landscapes.
- Between T-12 and T-6 months, positioning sharpens: exploratory discussions with strategics, vendor fact book preparation, operational improvements (margin, churn, upsell), and AI differentiation refinement.
- From T-6 to launch, execution readiness dominates: full documentation, data room preparation, management rehearsal, and clean KPI proof points.
A focused and dedicated preparation phase where KPIs and current trading support the narrative, drives higher valuation multiples, stronger buyer competition, faster diligence, and greater deal certainty.
Monika Nickl, Managing Director & European Co-Head of Consumer at Lincoln International:
“You don’t create value in the deal process, you prove it. The real work happens 12 to 18 months in advance.”
Where SportsTech winners will emerge
SportsTech is no longer about digital enhancements layered onto traditional operations. It is about building data-native ecosystems where proprietary, high-frequency data feeds are embedded in AI systems that influence real-world decisions.
The companies that win will combine three elements:
- Recurring, contractually secure revenue models
- Proprietary datasets with defensible AI applications
- Institutional-grade operational readiness well before an exit process begins
As the U.S. has demonstrated, when innovation meets capital at scale, multi-billion-dollar outcomes are achievable. Europe is now building that momentum, and for founders and investors prepared to execute with discipline, the opportunity is substantial.
