Six tech startups will compete for not just funding, but access to NFLPA talent and networking resources at Pitch Day 2022.
Ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, the NFL Players Association has announced the six startups led by diverse founders that will present their business concepts and products to a panel of athletes, industry experts, and investors at the sixth annual NFLPA Pitch Day on Thursday, April 28 in Las Vegas.
Financial services company Truist, this year’s presenting sponsor, aims to inspire the building of better lives and stronger communities, which aligns with the Pitch Day mission to empower women, people of color, and other underrepresented business leaders. PepsiCo joins as a “Championship Plus” sponsor with the stated goal of increasing diversity in entrepreneurship.
The participating companies are Bandwagon, Hydrostasis, Healium, Impact Biosystems, Point, and ZoneIn. Judges for the competition include former Seahawks, Bills, and Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch, WNBA star Kelsey Plum, veteran NFL linebacker Jaylon Smith, 1863 Ventures founder Melissa Bradley, and Truist Wealth Management Sports and Entertainment Executive VP Jeff Dunn. The event will be moderated by NFL Network Reporter Kirsten Watson.
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Get to know the six companies competing for top honors at Pitch Day 2022:
- BandwagonFanClub, Inc., founded by Harold Hughes, is an experience technology company that delivers solutions to help fans and consumers connect with their favorite artists, athletes, entertainers, and brands.
- Hydrostasis, founded by Debbie Chen, Hydrostasis provides real-time, personalized hydration monitoring capabilities to smart device manufacturers in consumer and clinical applications.
- Sarah Hill founded Healium, a company that is reimagining mental wellness and sleep by allowing you to train inside virtual worlds with your body’s electricity via consumer wearables.
- Impact Biosystems co-founders Bridget Hunter-Jones and Craig Cheney created their company to build hardware and software solutions to help athletes recover faster, feel better, and perform at their peak.
- Point, founded by Paige Sullivan and Kingsley McGowan, connects all your wearable and smart living data for a seamless experience while providing helpful wellness insights.
- ZoneIn’s founder is Kush Mahan. The company is the leading performance nutrition planning and meal ordering solution for sports organizations. The platform leverages automation and AI to deliver personalized nutrition guidance for every athlete, while allowing dietitians and performance coaches to save time and more efficiently meet the nutrition needs of their athletes.
Each company will state the case for its potential as an industry disruptor, and will have access to NFLPA resources in their mission to do so. Judges will draw from their own expertise to evaluate the pitches and determine the winner of Pitch Day 2022.
The prize package includes $25,000 in player marketing services from the NFLPA, $25,000 in services from licensing, marketing, and multimedia powerhouse OneTeam Partners, business resource contributions from Truist, and strategic consultation from Allied Sports and Allied Global Marketing, a full-service integrated agency that works with the world’s largest entertainment, lifestyle and sports brands, including the NFLPA.
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