SBC has announced the five start-ups that will battle it out for the 2026 edition of First Pitch 2026 Americas, in collaboration with BettingStartups, taking place at SBC Summit Americas.
The contest will see some of the most exciting sports betting and gaming start-ups pitch their products to an esteemed panel of industry judges, with the winning company receiving a prize package valued at over $100,000 to help support its growth.
The finalists will go head-to-head on the Leaders Stage on Thursday, 11 June, where they will each deliver a three-minute presentation followed by a Q&A session in front of a live audience and an expert judging panel.
This year’s finalists are:
- Insight Play AI, Inc. – InsightPlay deploys AI agents as customer service representatives for operators, providing both text and voice support. Operators using the service have already begun recovering dormant players across Latin America.
- Odditt – A platform that helps sportsbooks, prediction markets, and DFS operators offer ready-made combo and parlay bets, complete with simple explanations for why each bet has been grouped together.
- OddsBlaze – A real-time sports betting data platform that gives operators, traders, and product teams fast access to odds, market movements, arbitrage alerts, and betting APIs.
- ParlayX – A prediction market aggregator designed to help sports betting syndicates compare opportunities and act on market insights more efficiently.
- The Sharps – A bankroll tournament platform that combines the strategy and competitive structure of poker with sports handicapping, using traditional sportsbook wagers instead of cards.
To determine this year’s winner, SBC has assembled a panel of judges with extensive experience across sports betting, iGaming, investment, start-up development, and venture capital.
The panel includes Paris Smith (Founder and CEO, DefytheOdds), Javier Altamirano, Global Head of Startup, Sportradar), Evan Meyer (Managing Partner, Astralus Capital Management), Scott Secord (Partner, Cardinal Sports Capital), Meredith McPherson (CEO & Managing Partner, DRIVE by DraftKings), with Jesse Learmonth, of The Betting Startups Podcast, returning to host this year’s competition.
Paul Mills (Event Director, SBC) said: “This year’s First Pitch showcases the depth of start-up talent emerging across the Americas, with finalists bringing fresh ideas across AI, prediction markets, fantasy, data, and betting infrastructure.
“SBC is proud to give these companies a platform to pitch their products, connect with investors, and build the connections needed to support their next stage of growth.”
The winning start-up will receive a prize package valued at over $100,000, designed to support its growth through a mix of promotional, technical, legal, and business development services.
The package includes:
- MetaBet & Are You Watching This?: One year of API access to sports data from Are You Watching This? and gambling data from MetaBet, valued at $48,000.
- AWS: $10,000 of AWS Credits for eligible AWS services and support from infrastructure technologies like compute, storage, and databases, to emerging technologies, such as generative AI, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
- GameOn: Press releases, an interview, and a video interview shared to GameOn social media, worth $3,500.
- Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC: $5,000 worth of gaming-related legal services.
- Square in the Air: Video package, social media audit, and competitor analysis worth $5,000.
- Vegas Kings: A web design package worth $3,000.
- SBC Media: Promotional advertising and PR package worth $11,000.
- SBC Events: A 3x3m booth and four complimentary tickets worth $15,000.
- CertilQ: 12 months of access to CertilQ’s Technical Compliance Management Platform, worth $4,000.
Attendees with a Conference, Business, or VIP Pass can all watch the live First Pitch final on the Leaders Stage on Thursday, 11 June at 2:20 pm.
Get your tickets:
- Conference Pass ($399) – Includes access to the show floor, all conference and workshop sessions, and basic access to SBC Connect. Pass holders can also join the Inner Circle, offering exclusive speaker chats and deeper discussions on key panel topics.
- Business Pass ($549) – Includes everything in the Conference Pass, plus full access to SBC Connections networking sessions and enhanced SBC Connect features for messaging and meeting requests.
- VIP Pass ($799) – Full event access, including the show floor, conference sessions, daytime networking (SBC Connections), evening parties, and advanced access to SBC Connect features. VIP attendees also receive a pre-loaded card for the Food Festival.
Source: iGaming Expert
