IBM Announces Winner of Sports Tech Startup Prize Challenge at Web Summit Lisbon 2026

IBM (IBM) named LivXP the winner of its Sports Tech Startup Prize Challenge at Web Summit Lisbon, concluding a year-long global initiative.

Rhea-AI Summary

IBM (IBM) named LivXP the winner of its Sports Tech Startup Prize Challenge at Web Summit Lisbon, concluding a year-long global initiative. LivXP was one of seven finalists in the invitation-only competition and provides an AI-powered platform for sports fan experiences, auctions and sponsor activities.

The grand prize includes up to $100,000 for an eligible proof-of-concept project with IBM's Sports and Entertainment Partnership Team, subject to separate review and agreement requirements. It also includes up to $20,000 in IBM credits toward services and technology, plus mentorship and evaluation opportunities.

Key Figures

Proof-of-concept support: Up to $100,000 IBM credits: Up to $20,000 Finalists: Seven

Proof-of-concept support

Up to $100,000

Grand Prize; eligible project subject to separate review and agreement requirements

IBM credits

Up to $20,000

Grand Prize; applied toward IBM services and technology

Finalists

Seven

2026 IBM Sports Tech Startup Prize Challenge

Key Terms

white-label, proof-of-concept

2 terms

white-label technical

"use its white-label platform to reach fans in 150 countries."

A white-label product or service is made by one company but sold under another company's brand so the reseller can offer it as if they created it. Think of it like a supermarket selling a generic cereal that was produced in the same factory as national brands. For investors, white-label arrangements can boost revenue and speed market entry with lower development costs, but they also concentrate reliance on third-party suppliers and can limit differentiation and pricing power.

proof-of-concept technical

"support an eligible proof-of-concept project with IBM's Sports and Entertainment"

A proof-of-concept is a demonstration that shows a new idea or method can work as intended, serving as a small-scale test before full development. For investors, it signals that a concept has been successfully tested in principle, reducing uncertainty about whether it can be practically implemented. This helps determine if further investment or effort is justified to develop the idea further.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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LivXP has been selected from a global field of innovators advancing the future of sports through AI.

LISBON, Portugal, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced LivXP as the winner of the IBM Sports Tech Startup Prize Challenge at Web Summit Lisbon, recognizing the company for its innovative use of agentic AI to transform how fans engage with their favorite teams, organizations, and leagues.

The challenge marks the culmination of the IBM Sports Tech Startup Challenge, a year-long global initiative created to identify and evaluate growth-stage startups building enterprise-ready technologies for sports organizations, teams, media companies, and fans. Launched at Web Summit Lisbon 2025, IBM has engaged founders through showcases at Web Summits in Vancouver, Rio de Janeiro, and Lisbon, alongside a16z Tech Weeks in New York and San Francisco, and in virtual forums. These showcase activities were designed to provide visibility and engagement opportunities and did not confer eligibility, ranking, priority, or advancement in the invitation-only Prize Challenge held this week. The invite-only challenge featured seven finalists selected from a broad field of sports technology innovators. Finalists pitched their solutions before a distinguished judging panel that included Sarah Meron, Chief Communications and Brand Officer, IBM; Marc Gené, Ferrari Ambassador, Scuderia Ferrari HP; Brad Smith, Headlines Anchor at CNN; and Frederico Gil, founder and CEO of FREDGIL Academy. 

LivXP, a Swiss-American company accelerated at the Harvard Innovation Labs, is an AI-powered impulse commerce infrastructure for sports: auctions, experiences, and sponsor activations that land at the fan's emotional high. From the Tour de Suisse to Boston College Athletics, federations, clubs, international events, and U.S. college sports programs use its white-label platform to reach fans in 150 countries.

"We were incredibly impressed by both the technical innovation and practical application of LivXp's solution," said IBM Chief Communications and Brand officer Sarah Meron. "At IBM, we're always looking for new ways AI can help our clients create more engaging, personalized experiences, and we see exciting potential for technologies like this to enhance the work we do alongside our global sports and entertainment partners."

Upon being announced the winner, LivXP CEO and Co-Founder Ashima Saxena stated, "Every emotional moment in sport revenue is waiting to happen, and AI finally lets sports organizations capture it at scale, without adding staff. We're proud to have won the IBM Sports Tech Startup Challenge, and we look forward to working with IBM's Sports & Entertainment Partnerships Team to bring impulse commerce to more clubs, sponsors, and fans worldwide."

The Lisbon finale capped a year-long series of startup showcases and judging sessions bringing together influential voices from sports, media, and venture capital, including Maria Sharapova, and representatives from a16z, USTA Ventures, Sony Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), FIFA, and Powerhouse Capital.

Finalists

The seven startups participating in the 2026 IBM Sports Tech Startup Prize Challenge were:

• Fanory – Fan intelligence platform transforming live sports experiences into memories, assets, and behavioral data.
• Neuron Systems – Multi agent AI platform for live sports and entertainment that generates real-time commentary, insights, and content for sports fans and creators.
• LivXP – Fan engagement marketplace that connects sports fans with exclusive experiences, auctions, and interactions with teams, athletes, and sports organizations.
• PressBox – AI-powered content platform that enables sports leagues, teams, and media organizations to create and personalize content and marketing.
• NTangible – Verbal cognitive assessment platform that measures how athletes perform under pressure.
• Proximity Works Inc. – AI engineering company that builds real-time intelligence and fan engagement systems for sports, media, and entertainment organizations.
• Noiz – Sports-matching platform making it easier to find courts, try new sports, and build player connections.

The Prize Challenge Grand Prize includes up to $100,000 to support an eligible proof-of-concept project with IBM's Sports and Entertainment Partnership Team, subject to separate review and agreement requirements, up to $20,000 in IBM credits to be applied toward services and technology, mentorship opportunities, and evaluation opportunities described in the Official Rules.

About the IBM Sports Tech Startup Challenge

Launched in partnership with Web Summit, the IBM Sports Tech Startup Challenge is a global initiative designed to spotlight startups applying AI and other emerging technologies to solve challenges across the sports industry. Building on IBM Ventures' mission to connect cutting-edge innovation with enterprise clients, the Challenge extends this approach to IBM's sports portfolio, using our sports partnerships as a proving ground to showcase technologies with real-world potential for both the sports landscape and broader business applications. The 2026 program included startup showcases at Web Summit Vancouver, Rio, and Lisbon, events during a16z Tech Weeks in New York and San Francisco, and in virtual forms, culminating with the invite-only Prize Challenge at Web Summit Lisbon. These showcase activities provided opportunities for visibility and engagement but did not confer eligibility, ranking, priority, or advancement in the Prize Challenge.

About IBM in Sports

For more than 30 years, IBM has partnered with some of the world's most iconic sports organizations, including Wimbledon, the US Open, the Masters Tournament, Scuderia Ferrari HP, and UFC. Together, IBM and its partners create AI-powered experiences designed to deliver deeper insights, smarter engagement, and richer digital experiences for sports fans around the globe.

About IBM Ventures

As the corporate venture capital arm of IBM, IBM Ventures invests in startups across enterprise AI and quantum software. A strategic investor, IBM Ventures works closely with startups and founders to bring innovative technologies into IBM and help drive value for IBM clients. Through IBM's technology, expertise and global client network, IBM Ventures helps portfolio companies build strategic relationships and accelerate their growth.

Media Contact:

Rebeccah Propp

IBM

Rebeccah.Propp@ibm.com

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SOURCE IBM