Real Madrid CF has launched an accelerator seeking M’sian startups, here’s how to join

Football lovers, here’s a chance to potentially work with the iconic Spanish football club, Real Madrid CF.

Optin Studio, a Kuala Lumpur-headquartered innovation venture firm, announced the launch of the Real Madrid Next Accelerator for Asia Program.

This is done in partnership with Real Madrid Next and Creww Inc., a Japan-based startup community platform that seeks to support people who want to create new and innovative businesses.

To catalyse innovation within the sports industry across Asia, the Real Madrid Next Accelerator for Asia Program is inviting early to mid-stage Asian startups across diverse verticals to join its programme.

Selected startups will gain access to opportunities for business partnerships, potential funding, and investment, alongside Optin Studio’s support in sourcing and nurturing Malaysian startups poised for global expansion within the football and sports business realm.

“We recognise the immense talent and potential present within our local grassroots entrepreneurial community,” said Farah Fauzi, the Co-Managing Partner at Optin Studio.

“The Real Madrid Next Accelerator for Asia can serve, at the very least, as one of the exposure opportunities for our local homegrown talent to venture out into the regional and global scene, especially within the sports tech sector.”

What’s Next?

This accelerator programme is organised through Real Madrid Next, the technological innovation arm of Real Madrid FC.

According to its website, Real Madrid Next is the football club’s commitment to excellence in all its operational areas.

Through Next, Real Madrid will carry out “unique technological innovation projects” that can generate an ecosystem that fosters the advancement of the sports industry, specifically focusing on disruptive solutions.

“Real Madrid Next will focus on generating synergies with startups and leading companies in its sector by providing resources and sharing its knowledge in all aspects related to sports,” the website stated.

With this in mind, the Real Madrid Next Accelerator for Asia Program will focus on six key themes: sports performance, e-health, audiovisual (AV) content, fan engagement, cybersecurity, and social impact.

Selected participants will receive support and resources from Real Madrid, as well as the chance to showcase their innovations at an all-expenses-paid Real Madrid Next Accelerator for Asia Demo Day in Spain later this year.

Applications are open until April 15, 2024.

In conjunction with the programme, Optin Studio has curated a series of engagement sessions, commencing with an online “kick-off” event on April 3, 2024, tailored for aspiring startup founders and teams.

Interested parties can register for the sessions online. Meanwhile, more information about the programme can be found here.

Football as a way forward

As Wan Dazriq, Co-Managing Partner at Optin Studio, pointed out, “Football has a global appeal and is considered as one of the economic and social powerhouses in the sports industry.”

Indeed, it’s obvious that football is a huge industry, with Spain’s La Liga alone generating billions of revenue every year.

And amongst the football teams in the Spanish league, Real Madrid is one of the best-known ones.

For the uninitiated, Real Madrid has won the UEFA Champions League more than any other club, with a total of 14 titles. As a refresher, Cristiano Ronaldo had been associated with the team for nearly a decade.

The sports industry in Malaysia is something that our government has been working to groom too. For one, the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) announced the development of a Sports Industry Centre of Excellence to grow the local industry. The plan also highlighted sports as a way to improve wellbeing in the country.

Bearing all this in mind, it’s a no-brainer that the Real Madrid Next Accelerator for Asia Program is a great opportunity for those in the sports sector and for our sports industry overall to grow.

Featured Image Credit: Optin Studio / Real Madrid CF