SBC Summit First Pitch on the lookout for next big thing

SBC Events continues to host a series of industry pow-wows intended for thousands of delegates and hundreds of C-level executives throughout the year. At one of those upcoming events, the SBC Summit Barcelona, slated for September 22, the organizer is co-hosting a pitch directed at innovative companies from the gambling space.

SBC First Pitch Barcelona is backed by Yolo Investments, the dedicated investment arm of Yolo Group, and will seek to distinguish companies operating in the online sports betting and iGaming spaces. The key here is to bring a value-added project that helps push the boundaries of what is sought after in the industry.

An incubator startup culture is fairly new to the iGaming space, which has been seized by a merger and acquisition fever in the past couple of years making that more difficult to introduce new and innovative companies that diverge from conventional wisdom.

However, this will be happening under the aegis of SBC Events and Yolo Investments. Commenting on this development, SBC Events CEO and founder Rasmus Sojmark said: "SBC is happy to provide the platform for the industry start-ups to showcase their business and pitch their product in front of an expert judging panel."

This springboard will not just come with accolades or peer kudos but also offer a EUR50,000 prize package to help the winner continue on their mission to innovate the industry.

In his statement, Sojmark did allude to the "unforgiving nature" of iGaming and betting, at a period of rapid expansion, but also unbridled consolidation and not least, more challenging market acquisition strategies necessitated by overreaching regulation.

Therefore, anyone making it to the Final Pitch will have the opportunity to present their idea and secure the means to realize it. Making a pitch in front of hundreds of C-level executives bears its own benefits, including striking up the right partnerships and connections early into a company’s development.

The panel of judges to weigh in and choose a winner will consist of well-seasoned veterans, including Yolo Investments Commercial Director and Partner Pontus Sjögren, Waterhouse VC Chief Investment Officer TomWaterhouse, Oakvale Capital Partner Sanford Loudon, and others.

Companies who wish to make the First Pitch spotlight will also have to meet several prerequisites. They must have been established no earlier than 2019 and have raised no more than EUR4m. They must be seeking to raise at least EUR500,000 to realize their plans and send at least one delegate to present their idea.

For the full list of details regarding participation conditions and selecting the winner, as well as the relevant prize, please visit SBC Summit’s event page or jump straight to the dedicated event page.