SBC has revealed the five startups that will compete in the 2026 edition of First Pitch, in partnership with BettingStartups, with this year’s shortlist showcasing a new generation of businesses using innovative technology to tackle some of betting and gaming’s biggest challenges.
Taking place on Thursday, 1 October, on the Product Innovation Showcase Stage at SBC Summit 2026, the competition will give five emerging companies the opportunity to present their products and growth plans in front of investors, operators and industry decision-makers.
Each finalist will have three minutes to pitch, followed by a three-minute Q&A with the judging panel, as they compete for a prize package valued at €139,400, designed to accelerate the winning company’s next stage of growth.
This year’s finalists are:
- Betsy – a social prediction gaming platform designed to turn bets and predictions into shareable content, making participation itself part of the entertainment experience.
- Gmonitor – an AI-powered competitive intelligence platform that tracks market activity, including promotions, games, advertising, rankings and regulation. Helping operators understand where competitors are gaining ground and how they can respond.
- InsightPlay.ai – an AI workforce for player engagement, using autonomous agents for acquisition, retention, reactivation and customer support.
- Safefy – Uses AI to monitor transactions to prevent suspicious activities and losses.
- Whizgen AI (Whizdom AI) – Gives iGaming operators three interconnected AI tools for handling player support queries, giving players personalised game recommendations, and flagging players at risk of leaving an operator.
The competition forms part of SBC Summit’s expanded Startup Hub, hosted by BettingStartups, which brings together exhibition space, networking opportunities and startup-focused content to connect emerging businesses with investors, operators and potential commercial partners. The Product Innovation Showcase Stage will be dedicated entirely to startups on Thursday, culminating in the First Pitch final.
Paul Mills, Senior Event Director, SBC, said: “What stands out about this year’s finalists is the range of problems they’re trying to solve — from player retention to transaction monitoring and competitive intelligence. Each one is tackling a genuine industry challenge, but from a completely different angle.
“One thing’s for sure, the judges are going to have their work cut out for them given the amount of talent on stage this year.”
Jesse Learmonth, Founder of BettingStartups and host of SBC First Pitch, said: “First Pitch gives founders a unique opportunity to demonstrate what they have built in front of people who can help them move forward. The pitch itself may only last a few minutes, but the introductions, feedback and conversations that come from it can have a much longer-term impact.”
This year’s prize package is worth over €100,000 and includes:
- Are You Watching This?! & MetaBet – One year of API access to sports, gambling and engagement data, worth €42,000.
- SBC Events – A 3x3m booth with turnkey stand build, sponsorship mention and four complimentary tickets to SBC Summit 2027, worth €15,000.
- SBC Media – Six months of advertising across relevant industry news platforms, newsletter advertising and two featured editorials promoting the business, worth €11,000.
- AWS – €10,000 in promotional credits to support eligible AWS services and infrastructure.
- CertiIQ – Twelve months of access to the company’s technical compliance management platform, plus one compliance tool add-on, worth €7,400.
- Square in the Air – A winner’s video package filmed on-site, supported by social promotion, a social media audit, competitor analysis and strategy guide, worth €5,000.
- Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC – €4,000 in credit towards gaming-related legal services.
- Vegas Kings – An exclusive brand or web design package worth €3,000.
- GameOn – Two drafted and distributed press releases, a US-facing trade media interview, a short video interview and inclusion in GameOn newsletters, worth €2,750
To determine this year’s winner, SBC has assembled a panel of judges with extensive experience across sports betting, iGaming, investment, start-up development, and venture capital.
This year’s esteemed panel of judges includes Rob Duboff (Director, Velo Partners), Willy Joseph (Global SA Leader, Games, Betting & Gaming and Sports, Amazon Web Services), Paris Smith (Founder & CEO, Defy the Odds), Tom Waterhouse (Founder and CIO, Waterhouse VC) and David Williams (Partner, Discerning Capital).
First Pitch will take place on the final day of SBC Summit 2026, which will unite more than 40,000 betting and gaming professionals from 29 September to 1 October at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and MEO Arena.
Access to the Product Innovation Showcase Stage and First Pitch is included with Conference, Business and VIP Passes. Operators, affiliates and regulators may also qualify for complimentary passes, subject to approval.
Explore the full range of SBC Summit ticket options here.
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