First Dutch
sports tech fund targets
a 50 billion dollar market
by 2030

The sports tech market is projected to be worth 50 billion dollars by 2030, according to estimates by Drake Star Partners. This growth is attributed to the rise of eSports, increased demand for athlete performance data, and better utilization of media rights. The Dutch Sport Tech Fund, launched today, is the first fund to focus exclusively on this market. It combines expertise and experience in both sports and scalable technology.

Several well-known athletes and entrepreneurs are involved with the fund. The Advisory Board includes speed skater Marianne Timmer, former Dutch women’s hockey coach Roelant Oltmans, Frank Barendse (CEO of SPEC), and Bert Oosterloo (former PWC partner). Ambassadors for the Dutch Sport Tech Fund include Stanley Menzo, Aron Winter, and Willy van der Kerkhof.

The fund plans to invest annually in five to ten sports tech companies. Snijders: “We support scale-ups with resources, knowledge, and our network. In this way, we ensure that the Netherlands leads the way in sports tech and contribute to a better sports climate. Initially, we are focusing on companies in eSports, companies that focus on athlete content and data, and platforms that enable people to play sports (together).”

Mark Snijders, CEO of the Dutch Sport Tech Fund: “The sport-tech market is becoming increasingly aware of the possibilities of data. Publishing content, for example, creates a direct relationship between athlete or club and the fans, which leads to new revenue models. Data also makes it easier to measure and predict athletes’ performances. It’s no wonder that more and more federations, clubs, and athletes are open to innovation.”

Snijders is a former footballer for AZ and the English club Port Vale. According to him, the demand is growing not only for technology to engage fans and improve athletes’ performances. “Thanks to the rise of platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming, the eSports market will grow to a turnover of three billion next year. We have the network and expertise to seize these opportunities. If you think about it, it’s actually quite strange that there wasn’t already a fund for this growth market.”

The Dutch Sport Tech Fund aims to make a positive contribution to sport by investing in the right sport, technology, and data companies. By 2030, the sports technology market will represent a value of 50 billion dollars. The Dutch Sport Tech Fund is the first fund to focus exclusively on this market.