Minnesota Twins unveil startups for new tech accelerator

• Ten technology, sports and entertainment startups chosen
• The Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars to culminate with product showcase in February 2022

Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Minnesota Twins have launched their new technology accelerator and announced the ten startups that have joined the initiative.

More than 120 applicants put themselves forward for the Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars, a three-month programme that provides early-stage startups and entrepreneurs with funding, mentoring and curated workshops.

The programme, set up in partnership with US seed accelerator Techstars, culminates with a demo day next February where each company will showcase their products.

The startups chosen include Awsm Sauce, a zero-waste sauce and condiment company, BeyondRanked, a platform that connects casual gamers with esports commentators, and Edge Sound Research which develops immersive sound technology for video games.

Happied, which provides personalised food and drink kits that remote workers can enjoy together, also made the cut, as did Knoow, a location-based search engine that pairs users together at locations they want to visit, and LeagueOS, an all-in-one software platform for esports.

Completing the lineup are Node, a platform that gives influencers an opportunity to receive gifts for creating branded posts, OneScreen.ai, a software as a service (SaaS) marketplace for outdoor advertising, and SoleSafe, an insurance company specifically used for expensive sports shoes.

Of the ten participating companies, five were founded by individuals from historically marginalised groups.

The accelerator is headquartered in the Ford Center in the North Loop neighbourhood of Minneapolis.

“We’re thrilled to welcome these talented and diverse startup founders to the Twin Cities and into the Twins family,” said Joe Pohlad, executive vice president of brand strategy and growth for the Minnesota Twins.

“We are excited to watch these companies as they progress and ultimately work together to help advance the sports and entertainment business.”

In an article published on Techstars’ website, Brett Brohl, Techstars’ managing director and Sarah Bain, venture principal of the Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars and Techstars Farm to Fork, wrote: ‘Sports and entertainment may be the fastest evolving industry on the planet. Content, access, and sporting events are changing quickly and fans are consuming their sports differently than they ever have. They now have the data and access that was once limited to teams and front offices.

‘The industry has been challenged to keep up with this pace, to keep fans engaged as the demand for more, new, and better is never-ending. These market dynamics have created an amazing moment in time for entrepreneurs to innovate and disrupt.

‘Alongside the Minnesota Twins, we are excited to help them achieve their goals.’