STARTUPS SELECTED FOR INNOVATION HUB COHORT

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Camb.ai, Mantis XR and Piing to participate in inaugural cohort

2026-01-08T10:00:00.000Z

STARTUPS SELECTED FOR INNOVATION HUB COHORT

Camb.ai, Mantis XR and Piing to participate in inaugural cohort

2026-01-08T10:00:00.000Z

Camb.ai, Mantis XR and Piing to participate in inaugural cohort

Burnley FC selects three startups for its inaugural Innovation Hub cohort

After a competitive application process that attracted over 200 companies worldwide, Burnley Football Club has selected Camb.ai, Mantis XR, and Piing to participate in the inaugural cohort of its Innovation Hub.

The companies were selected following a virtual Pitch Day hosted from Turf Moor, where six shortlisted finalists presented their solutions to a judging panel comprised of leadership from Burnley FC and ALK Capital, as well as industry expert advisors.

Over a six-month pilot period, the companies will work alongside Burnley FC’s operations to deploy and test their technologies in real club environments, aimed at delivering new digital experiences, enhancing supporter engagement, and exploring scalable innovation pathways.

-Camb.ai (San Francisco, USA) - Localization infrastructure company for the internet, uses AI to instantly translate content into 150+ languages while preserving each voice’s tone and personality.

-Mantis XR (Vancouver, Canada) - Unified fan experience infrastructure that connects behaviour across merchandise, ticketing, hospitality, and engagement through spatial technology, enabling teams to build loyalty on relationship data rather than fragmented vendor systems.

-Piing (Manchester, UK) - Stadium-scale interactive games that engage tens of thousands of fans, turning matchday downtime into sponsorship-ready activations.

STARTUPS SELECTED FOR INNOVATION HUB COHORT - Image 1

This first cohort marks the launch of a long-term strategy to embed innovation across Burnley FC and establish a repeatable model for adopting and scaling emerging technology, including across Velocity Sports Partner’s multi-club ownership portfolio.

Alan Pace, Chairman, Burnley Football Club, said: "I'm absolutely delighted to welcome our inaugural cohort of start-ups for year one of the club's Innovation Hub. We received some excellent applicants, and the three we've chosen will add significant value across the business. We're excited to get to work with them all over the next six months."

Penelope Edmonds, Vice President of Corporate Development & Investments, said: “It’s been fantastic to launch this programme and see how world-class founders are applying technology to some of the biggest challenges in football and sport. As one of the early movers in this space, we’ve been especially grateful for the level of support from partners across the sports, investment, and technology ecosystems, which has helped make this first cohort possible. We’re thrilled to be working with such a strong group of companies and look forward to building, learning, and growing together.”