The Federation of Irish Sport Industry Awards will be presented on Tuesday, May 19th, in Dublin city centre. You can see all the shortlisted finalists here, and in the run-up to the Awards night, Sport for Business will feature a selection of the awards to highlight the businesses and projects that have been shortlisted.
Rob Hartnett of Sport for Business was one of the judges who gathered last week to determine the shortlists and the winners, but nothing should be read into these reviews of the shortlisted companies, all of which are leading examples of how sport’s impact is continually expanding in areas of business, social impact and participation.
Wednesday: Best New Sports Business
Thursday: Best Sports Business
Friday: Best Initiatives to Promote Inclusivity and Sustainability in Sport and Physical Activity
Monday: Best Initiatives to Promote Disability and Women in Sport and Physical Activity
Tuesday: Best Use of Communications Platform in Sport and Best Commercial Partnership in Sport
Wednesday: The Winners Revealed
Four Emerging Companies Driving Innovation in Irish Sport Recognised at 2026 Industry Awards
The finalists — Grow Sport, Anyscor, Colata and Sports Impact Technologies — each represent a different corner of an evolving sports economy that increasingly blends technology, participation, performance and community engagement.
The award, which will be presented at the Irish Sport Industry Awards in Dublin on May 19th, recognises emerging businesses that are making a significant contribution to Irish sport through innovation, commercial growth and long-term potential.
Anyscor – Connecting Grassroots Communities
Anyscor has developed a live-scoring and fan-engagement platform designed specifically for amateur sport.
The company’s app allows coaches, clubs, and supporters to follow live matches, manage fixtures, communicate with teams, and build stronger digital connections within local sporting communities.
After gaining traction through rugby competitions, including the Energia All-Ireland League, the platform has expanded into broader grassroots sport, combining live scoring with sponsorship and revenue-generation opportunities for clubs.
Backed by Enterprise Ireland, Anyscor reflects the growing demand for technology that strengthens participation and engagement beyond elite-level sport.
Colata – Turning Data into Performance Insights
Colata represents another side of Ireland’s growing sports-tech ecosystem, using artificial intelligence to help teams and organisations better understand and use performance data.
The platform brings together information from areas such as training, medical monitoring, tactical analysis and athlete management into one integrated system.
Its aim is to help coaches and sporting organisations make faster, smarter decisions while reducing the challenges of managing fragmented data across multiple platforms.
Founded by Cork natives Kieran Collins and Fiona Ryan, Colata has already attracted significant backing and attention within the sports technology sector.
The company has worked with elite sporting organisations and has positioned itself at the intersection of AI, analytics and athlete performance — areas expected to play an increasingly important role in high-performance sport over the coming decade.
Grow Sport – Supporting Clubs to Think Bigger
Grow Sport has quickly established itself as a specialist consultancy supporting sports clubs across Ireland in areas such as governance, operations, membership growth and commercial development.
Working across golf, GAA, and multi-sport environments, the company focuses on helping clubs operate more sustainably, improve member experiences, and create new revenue opportunities.
Its work reflects a growing recognition that sports clubs increasingly require professional expertise in areas such as strategic planning, communications, digital transformation and commercial management.
By positioning itself as a practical partner for volunteer-led organisations navigating modern challenges, Grow Sport has tapped into a significant need across grassroots sport.
Sports Impact Technologies – Prioritising Athlete Welfare
Sports Impact Technologies completes the shortlist with a business focused on one of the most important conversations in modern sport: player safety.
The company has developed a wearable sensor system that detects head impacts in real time, helping coaches, medical staff and athletes identify potentially dangerous collisions that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Founded in 2022 and based at NovaUCD, the business aims to tackle the challenge of undetected concussions in sport through data and technology.
Its behind-the-ear wearable sends live alerts via a connected app, aiming to improve both athlete welfare and long-term safety protocols across multiple sports.
The company secured €650,000 in pre-seed funding last year, underlining growing confidence in the commercial and sporting potential of its technology.
Together, the four finalists offer a snapshot of the breadth of innovation now underway in Irish sport.
From club consultancy and grassroots engagement to AI analytics and player welfare technology, the shortlist highlights how sport in Ireland is increasingly being shaped by entrepreneurial thinking and digital innovation.
The Federation of Irish Sport has consistently highlighted the wider economic contribution of the sports sector, which supports more than 64,000 jobs and adds billions to the Irish economy each year.
For the four companies shortlisted in the Best New Sports Business of the Year category, recognition at the national level represents both validation of their early progress and evidence of the opportunities continuing to emerge across Irish sport.
As the sector grows increasingly interconnected with technology, community engagement and commercial innovation, the next generation of Irish sports businesses appears well positioned to make an impact both domestically and internationally.
Previous Winners of this award:
2025 – Hexis
2024 – Precision Sports Technology
2023 – Output Sports
2022 – Moby Bikes
2019 – Uppercut
2016 – Sport for Business
2015 – Nutritics
The Federation of Irish Sport is a full member of Sport for Business.
If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.
Image Credit: Irish Sport Industry Awards
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