Who is Qatar SportsTech?
With over a decade of experience in startup investments and acceleration, we are now in Doha to accelerate the sports industry to new heights. We are one of the frontiers in disrupting this vibrant market by facilitating partnerships between the most promising SportsTech startups and leading brands and organizations. Qatar SportsTech is initiated by Qatar Development Bank, powered by Startupbootcamp and supported by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Qatar Stars League, beIN Media Group, Qatar Financial Centre, Aspire Zone Foundation, MBK Holding and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Our Accelerator Program
Our vision is to transform Doha into one of the leading sports hubs and contribute to Qatar’s diversification goals through the facilitation of corporate startup collaboration through our accelerator program.
Following a rigorous recruitment process, 10 selected startups are invited to participate in the three-month intensive accelerator program in Aspire Zone, the beating heart of sports in Qatar. Each startup is incentivized and invited to register their company with 100% ownership in Qatar.
Leveraging over a decade of experience within Rainmaking history, a 12 week, part-time program has been created to develop and accelerate the entrepreneurship journey.
read moreRecruitment
Every nine months, we run an accelerator program in Qatar, which requires the founding team to relocate to Qatar full-time for three months. We travel the world to find and engage with startups that use cutting edge technology to reshape the industry of sports. The goal is to accelerate the startups’ growth and is applicable for early and/or seed-stage startups, who contribute to one of the categories in our thesis (below).
After this intensive recruitment period, we invite the top 20 startups to Doha for our Selection Days event.Here we lay the fundamentals for collaboration between the startups and our corporate partners for the duration of the Accelerator program. During the event decision-makers from leading local and global organizations inquire which startups can help them obtain their strategic objectives, which results in selecting ten startups.
Timeline
Cohort 3 Accelerator Program Starts
Sep 27th
Cohort 4 Applications Open
Nov 1st
Cohort 3 Demo Day
Dec 6th
Cohort 4 Applications Close
Feb 6th
Cohort 4 Selection Day
Feb 25th
Cohort 4 Accelerator Program Starts
Mar 14th
Cohort 4 Demo Day
Jun 3rd
Thesis
Click on each category below for more details.

Ibrahim Al Mannai
Executive Director of Advisory & Incubation
Hamad Al Qahtani
General Manager
Heba Almasri
Managing DirectorStartupbootcamp

Salman Surti
Operations ManagerStartupbootcamp

Joumana El Naggar
Marketing Manager
Ali Khadjavi
Pearls Of Qatar ManagerStartupbootcamp.com

Sheikh Ahmad Al Thani
Incubation Advisor
Tahani AlHajri
Senior Incubation Advisor
Abdulla Rashid Al Khater
Incubation Advisor
Rayane Fodil
Program Associate
Shayma Ben Brahim
Events & Community Associate
Sarah Al Habibi
Operations Coordinator
Anwar Patel
IT Specialist
Adam Majeed
Marketing AssociatePartners
Sportstech is a fast-growing domain that is complex. The business activities are ranging from ticket sales, sponsorships, and merchandising to media rights and more. That’s why we’ve partnered up with the very best in the industry, to give our startups the full backup that they need! These individuals have made the industry into what it is today and they’re eager to embrace new technologies to take the world of sports to the next level! Therefore, through these essential partnerships with leading organizations and brands below, startups participating in our Accelerator Program have the support of the entire sports and entrepreneurial ecosystems in Qatar.
Mentors
Are you passionate about innovation in the sports industry?
Do you want to share your expertise with entrepreneurs and help put their ideas into practice?
We’d love to connect with you and discuss how we can take this forward!
Click on a category below to filter through our mentors
Cohort 2021
Alumni
News
FAQs
Accelerator Program
When can I apply to the Qatar SportsTech Accelerator program?
How do I apply to Qatar Sportstech?
What happens after I submit my application?
We will then invite the top 20 startups to our Selection Day in Qatar and will make the final selection of 10 startups from that group.
When will I know about being invited to Selection Day?
When and where will the Selection Days take place?
About You
Who can apply?
To qualify, you must:
- have a sports-focused product.
- have a working MVP.
- have traction.
- have more than 1 team member.
- be willing to be based in Qatar full-time for the duration of the program.
- be looking to register a branch in Qatar through Qatar Financial Centre.
How many members of the team can join the program?
About the Location
How do I get to Qatar?
Do I need a VISA to join the program in Qatar?
Apply for a VISA here: https://www.qatarairways.com/en/qatar-tourist-visa.html
About the Program
Can I take part in the program without moving to Qatar?
Do I need to stay in Qatar after the program is finished?
I have other commitments, can I join the program for less than three months?
What happens during the program?
- Having privileged access to Qatar Sportstech prototype and test labs.
- Working directly with the global partners and leaders such as innovation engineers, product category owners, innovation & creative leaders, value chain experts and professionals.
- Attending startup classes and workshops – tailored to your needs for building your company.
- Receiving hands-on support from our experts – on topics such as business development, UX, design, growth hacking and fundraising.
The program will end in December with a large Demo-Day event, where each of the 10 startups will showcase their business and their progress during the program, to the partners, external investors and the press.
What is your approach to taking out equity?
There is the option for special cases – special cases are considered for startups who have previously raised at a higher valuation and can provide proof through 1) investment contract and 2) finances received. All special cases are subject to approval through a committee and may delay response.
You can find a template of our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Convertible Note here:
How can people outside the program see what is happening?
There will be a Demo Day in December. To keep the focus of this day on supporting our 10 startups, this event will only be open to external investors and the press. However, you can follow our Demo Day updates through our and our startups’ social media channels.
Is accomodation provided as part of the program?
We provide free office space for your team (1-4 people) for the three months duration of the program and for three months to settle in after the program.