Arsenal Innovation Lab scouts top startups for new ten-week programme

by Startacus Admin

Applications are now open for the Arsenal Innovation Lab, a fab looking 10-week programme for startups to test and demonstrate their products or services with one of the leading clubs in world football. If you are game for finding out more, read on…

Arsenal Innovation Lab

Run in collaboration with corporate innovation specialists L Marks, shortlisted startups will be mentored by senior business leaders from Arsenal Football club, have the opportunity to test and demonstrate products or services in live environments, as well as the potential for investment. 

Keen to work with startup organisations who can help the club identify ground-breaking new fan experiences and move the club’s business further forward, the Arsenal Innovation Lab are looking for entrepreneurial businesses to explore the following key areas:

• Improving matchday experience

• Engaging fans globally

• Transforming commercial partners’ offering

• Building a retail operation for the future

• Wildcard – an opportunity to come forward with ideas, whatever their focus, to help take the club forward 

If this sounds of immediate interest, then head straight over to www.arsenalinnovationlab.com to find out all the key details and to apply, or read on below for all the main info you might need to know. 

Arsenal Football Club are looking for startups to help with the following business areas:

IMPROVING MATCHDAY EXPERIENCE - The club want to create an even more compelling and seamless experience for their supporters from the moment they leave their house to the safe arrival at their seats and home again.

ENGAGING THEIR FANS GLOBALLY - With a stadium capacity of close to 60,000, sell-out games and global support, not every fan has the opportunity to be physically present at the Emirates Stadium. How can the club harness the reach of digital channels and experiences, and deepen the opportunities for their global fans to show their support for the club?

TRANSFORMING OUR PARTNER OFFERING - The most effective commercial partnerships are those which really engage fans around the world. What new tools or systems can the club use to capture and/or analyse fan data to create better engagement and rights packages for partners? And how can they maximise the reach of partner marketing messages that engage with Arsenal and their supporters? 

BUILDING A RETAIL OPERATION FOR THE FUTURE - Arsenal have done lots of work to transform the shopping experience for their supporters in-store and online. How can they leverage new technologies to ensure an even smoother experience for fans making purchases in-store, as well as those shopping online? How do the club make their in-store and stadium tours experiences as compelling as possible? How can the retail team use data tools to get smarter about what fans want and when?

So what’s on offer? 

Selected startups will have the chance to gain: 

• Mentorship from Arsenal’s senior leadership team.

• Product validation from Arsenal stakeholders and supporters.

• Testing in a live fan environment.

• A network of external mentors with diverse market expertise.

• Opportunity to gain investment. 

Application Process

• Applications are now open and close on the 12th October.

• Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to a Pitch Day on the 21st November to pitch to the senior leadership team, to win a place on the programme.

• Selected startups will then start the 10 week intensive programme on the 15th January 2018.

• The programme will then culminate on the 19th March 2018 with a Demo Day where the startups will highlight what they have achieved over the 10 weeks and present their proposal for future engagement with Arsenal. 

So there you have it - If this still sounds of interest, then head straight over to www.arsenalinnovationlab.com to apply or to read over all the most obvious FAQ’s you might have. 

Good luck to all that apply, we hope you win big.

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Published on: 14th September 2017