By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — One by one, each company told its story Monday evening at the NBA’s annual “Launchpad” forum where five inventive, entrepreneurial and tech-savvy companies all showed why they were picked by the National Basketball Association to receive business support.
It’s the fourth year of the NBA Launchpad, which showcases five companies that were selected from hundreds of applicants as the Association uses the program as a technology start-up incubator for these earnest companies to work on NBA-related issues in a cutting-edge, innovative way.
This year’s NBA five-member Launchpad class was quite impressive, with these tech companies so strong that they could easily be top presenters at the massive CES event held in Las Vegas every January.
There was Seattle-based One Court, which gave blind or low-vision fans real-time, play-by-play access to an NBA game through the touch of their fingers on a device given to them at games. More than a dozen cameras at an NBA game help track the basketball and action for the One Court device users.
In fact, the One Court device will be deployed at Tuesday’s NBA Summer League, where all 30 teams are here in Las Vegas giving their young players and rookies a chance to show their skills in exhibition games at Thomas & Mack Center July 10-20.
“Smart” basketball technology was on display with SportIQ (SIQ), which conducts its business and R&D in Las Angeles and Helsinki, Finland.
SportIQ has a “smart valve” in official NBA and WNBA basketballs that can detect who last touched the ball before it goes out of bounds. That alone should shorten games by avoiding the dreaded replay reviews.
Somnee from Berkeley, California showed a room filled with investors, NBA staffers, company workers and fans its diagnostic and therapeutic headband that helps users get to sleep faster, enjoy longer sleeps and feel better after the sleeps. That’s a product that can be used outside the basketball court as well.
Trashie is a company that motivates fans and anyone else who has too much stuff to buy “Take Back Bags” for $20 each and recycle their clothing and textiled materials in exchange for rewards. Trashie is even rolling out a $68 per year membership. The NBA can score big by having its teams also recycle their items through New York-based Trashie.
Here’s the Trashie presentation showing the $68/year membership (with scenic sunset in background):
The NBA featured Trashie in TV ad spots during its playoff games this past season. Trashie customers receive TrashieCash rewards for online shopping, and the Trashie owners hinted recyling electronics could be next.
VReps founder/CEO Shawn Cooper explained his company’s 3D teaching platform, showing how kids can learn basketball IQ and decision-making skills through the technology in his company’s programs. The strategy is to target youth players and coaches to create new generations of hoops fans.
The companies will have their products on display at a Summer League business expo at the Mendenhall Center practice building nextdoor to the Thomas & Mack Center Tuesday afternoon.
LVSportsBiz.com visited the business expo Tuesday. Betterguards, which was a former NBA Launchpad company, showed samples of their newly designed product, The BetterGuard 3.0.
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