First Pitch finalists for SBC Summit Americas startup competition unveiled

(AsiaGameHub) –   SBC has revealed the five startups set to compete in the 2026 First Pitch Americas contest, run in partnership with BettingStartups, which will take place as part of the SBC Summit Americas.

The competition will see some of the most promising sports betting and gaming startups present their products to a respected panel of industry judges, with the winning company receiving a prize bundle valued at more than $100,000 to support its expansion.

The finalists will go head-to-head on the Leaders Stage on Thursday, June 11, where each will deliver a three-minute pitch followed by a question and answer session in front of both a live in-person audience and the expert judging panel.

The finalists selected for this year’s contest are:

• Insight Play AI, Inc. – InsightPlay rolls out AI-powered agents to serve as customer service representatives for operators, offering both text and voice-based support. Operators using the service have already begun re-engaging inactive players across Latin America.
• Odditt – A platform that helps sportsbooks, prediction markets, and DFS operators provide pre-built combo and parlay bets, paired with simple explanations for the logic behind each grouped bet offering.
• OddsBlaze – A real-time sports betting data platform that delivers rapid access to odds, market shifts, arbitrage alerts, and betting APIs for operators, traders, and product teams.
• ParlayX – A prediction market aggregator built to help sports betting syndicates compare available opportunities and act on market intelligence more efficiently.
• The Sharps – A bankroll tournament platform that merges the strategic gameplay and competitive structure of poker with sports handicapping, using standard sportsbook wagers in place of playing cards.

To select this year’s winner, SBC has assembled a judging panel of professionals with deep experience across sports betting, iGaming, investment, startup 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), while Jesse Learmonth of The Betting Startups Podcast returns to host this year’s competition.

Paul Mills (Event Director, SBC) said: “This year’s First Pitch highlights the depth of startup talent emerging across the Americas, with finalists bringing fresh, innovative ideas spanning AI, prediction markets, fantasy sports, data, and betting infrastructure.

“SBC is proud to offer these companies a platform to pitch their products, connect with investors, and build the partnerships required to support their next phase of growth.”

The winning startup will receive a prize package valued at over $100,000, designed to fuel its growth through a combination of promotional, technical, legal, and business development services.

The full prize bundle includes:

• MetaBet & Are You Watching This?: 12 months of API access to sports data from Are You Watching This? and gambling industry data from MetaBet, valued at $48,000.
• AWS: $10,000 in AWS Credits for eligible AWS services, covering support for core infrastructure technologies including compute, storage, and databases, as well as emerging tools such as generative AI, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
• GameOn: Press release distribution, a written interview, and a video interview shared across GameOn’s social media channels, worth $3,500.
• Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC: $5,000 worth of gaming-specific legal support services.
• Square in the Air: A custom video package, social media performance audit, and competitor landscape analysis worth $5,000.
• Vegas Kings: A bespoke web design package worth $3,000.
• SBC Media: Promotional advertising and public relations package worth $11,000.
• SBC Events: A 3x3m exhibition booth and four complimentary event tickets worth $15,000.
• CertilQ: 12 months of access to CertilQ’s Technical Compliance Management Platform, worth $4,000.

All attendees holding a Conference, Business, or VIP Pass can watch the live First Pitch final on the Leaders Stage at 2:20 pm on Thursday, June 11.

Purchase your event tickets:

• Conference Pass ($399) – Includes access to the exhibition floor, all conference and workshop sessions, and basic access to SBC Connect. Pass holders can also join the Inner Circle, which offers exclusive opportunities to chat with speakers and dive deeper into discussions on key panel topics.
• Business Pass ($549) – Includes all benefits of the Conference Pass, plus full access to SBC Connections networking sessions and enhanced SBC Connect features for sending messages and meeting requests.
• VIP Pass ($799) – Full event access, including the exhibition floor, conference sessions, daytime SBC Connections networking activities, evening parties, and premium access to SBC Connect features. VIP attendees also receive a pre-loaded card for use at the on-site Food Festival.