BURNLEY FC INNOVATION HUB RETURNS FOR YEAR TWO, OPENING APPLICATIONS FOR NEXT-GEN SPORTS TECH

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2026-08-19T11:58+01:00

BURNLEY FC INNOVATION HUB RETURNS FOR YEAR TWO, OPENING APPLICATIONS FOR NEXT-GEN SPORTS TECH

2026-08-19T11:58+01:00

Burnley Football Club is proud to announce that applications are now open for the second cohort of the Burnley FC Innovation Hub – the club’s accelerator programme, designed to help the next generation of sports tech start-ups turn bold ideas into real-world impact.

Following the programme’s inaugural year, the Innovation Hub returns with the same core ambition: to pair promising early-stage companies with real club needs. Selected start-ups will pilot their products directly within Burnley FC's operations over a six-month period, working alongside club staff to test their solutions, gather structured feedback, and generate the traction needed to grow.

Burnley FC Chairman, Alan Pace said: “When we launched the Innovation Hub last year, we wanted to create a programme that was useful for both for the companies taking part and for us as a football club. It’s been really rewarding to see that come to life, and I’m excited to see what we uncover in year two.

“I’ve always been passionate about embracing innovation, and as a football club looking for ways we can integrate new technology into our operations.

“This year we’re particularly interested to hear from start-ups working across AI, Sustainability and Women’s Health & Performance. There’s entrepreneurial talent doing incredibly exciting work in these fields and we want Burnley to be a place where they can put those ideas into practice, learn from a real-world environment and demonstrate the impact they can have.”

The programme reflects the Board’s continued commitment to positioning Burnley FC at the forefront of innovation in football. In its inaugural year, the Innovation Hub selected Camb.ai, Mantis XR and Piing, to deliver three live pilots with the Club. Building on that success, the second cohort will continue to identify and test emerging technologies that can create meaningful impact across Burnley FC.

Applications are now open for the Innovation Hub’s second cohort, with a focus on three core areas:

AI for Club Growth – Commercial operations, media and content, marketing and fan communications, business intelligence and decision support, and retail and supporter commerce.

Sustainable Club Operations – Energy and utilities, stadium and facility operations, waste and environmental solutions, and operational efficiency and cost reduction.

Women’s Health & Performance – Health monitoring and wearables, women’s health solutions, performance equipment and training gear, and recovery and wellbeing.