EBAN Sports links Finnish startups to European growth opportunities

The Europe-wide EBAN Sports community (European Business Angels Network) connects startups and investors in the rapidly growing SportsTech sector. Through this collaboration, Finnish growth companies gain access to European venture capitalists and international forums. 

“Startups need a gateway to grow quickly beyond their domestic market”  

EBAN Sports was born out of a need to unite the fragmented field of sports technology in Europe. Juan Fuentes, a co-founder and co-chair of the community, sees Finland as an important player with a great need and potential for rapid internationalization.  

“In my opinion, in countries like Finland, startups have to enter the international market quite early, as the domestic market is only five million people. EBAN Sports is a platform where companies can pitch and network directly with members who, in addition to being investors, work closely with sports stakeholders such as athletes and sports organizations,” Fuentes explains. 

Startups can register in the EBAN Sports database, from which they are invited to events and competitions. Participation is free of charge, and the process is simple.  

“Once a company is in our database, we invite them to various events and pitch competitions. Currently encourage all startups to apply to the World Football Summit StartCup 2025 taking place in Madrid on October 15th-16th,” says Audra Shallal, co-founder and co-chair of the EBAN Sports community. She is a board member of EBAN and has over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, angel investing and pitch coaching. 

The EBAN Sports community’s steering group includes a wide range of international business figures, each with their own personal interests as investors. From Finland, the members include Vesa Lehtinen (automotive and motorsports), Heikki Rotko (sports entertainment and media), and Nina Rautiainen (sports, health, and wellness).  

Joining EBAN Sports as a startup – here's how  

EBAN Sports provides startups in sports, health, and wellbeing with direct access to investors and international markets. It's easy to get involved: 

• Sign up for the EBAN Sports startup database on the community’s website. Registration entitles you to invitations to pitch competitions, challenges, and investor meetings.  

• Prepare concise and appealing pitch material, such as a one-page company presentation and a short video explaining the core idea and market potential of your solution.  

• Keep an eye out for competition announcements and event searches – for example, the World Football Summit or EBAN's own pitch events across Europe.  

• Take advantage of the networking opportunities offered by these events, as participants include investors, decision-makers in the sports industry, and potential partners who can open doors to new markets.  

Co-chairs Fuentes and Shallal encourage Finnish startups to boldly apply to participate. They emphasize that EBAN Sports is not only about pitching, but also about building a supportive ecosystem where entrepreneurs gain access to resources, mentorship, and collaboration with investors and sports stakeholders. 

The community opens new doors for growth  

One of the community’s strengths is its ability to build cross-border connections and open doors to markets that would be hard for startups to access on their own. Pitching at just one event often leads to new networks and opportunities. 

“A good example of this was Sports Tech Day in Jyväskylä, where a Danish startup NDURE pitched. They were invited to the event through our community, and from this event in Finland they have the possibility to gain new contacts for growth and funding,” Shallal says. 

Learn more about the EBAN Sports and sign up to pitch your idea to the community. 

The community’s founding members, Juan Fuentes and Audra Shallal, visited Jyväskylä for Sports Tech Day on August 1, 2025. 

The event was hosted by the City of Jyväskylä's Business Development Services, Finnish Institute of High Performance Sport KIHU and European Business Angel Network EBAN. 
Sport Tech Day is part of the "Jyväskylä International Growth" development project, implemented by the Business Services of the City of Jyväskylä. The aim of the project is to build and strengthen networks that support international growth and to develop internationalization capabilities for companies in the region. The project is funded by the Regional Council of Central Finland (ERDF funding, 2023–2025).