Group News | ABSG Invited to EU Sports Innovation Platform EPSI Annual Conference, Collaborating to Chart a New Blueprint for Global SportsTech
The European Platform for Sports Innovation (EPSI) is an ecosystem organization for sports and innovation, bringing together over 200 members from more than 30 countries, including sports federations, research institutions, innovative enterprises, and investment agencies. EPSI is dedicated to promoting sustainable development and technological transformation in the sports industry, and it assists its members in securing millions of euros in funding for sports innovation each year.
EPSI hosts an annual conference that gathers its members as well as leaders, experts, and practitioners from the global sports sector. This flagship event serves as an important platform for industry exchange, knowledge sharing, and discussions on the latest trends and innovations in sports. The 2025 Annual Conference was successfully held from October 29 to 31 in Rovaniemi, Finland. Mr. Mike Yang, Founder and CEO of ABSG, was invited to participate as a speaker in thematic discussions and sharing sessions, and also served as a judge in the innovation challenge during the conference. Additionally, a formal cooperation agreement was signed with EPSI.
Below is a brief recap of this Finland trip:
Hosted by the Lapland University of Applied Sciences in Finland, the conference brought together sports tech leaders, policymakers, investment representatives, and innovative enterprises from Europe and around the world to discuss future trends, technological innovations, and capital cooperation opportunities in the sports industry.
Strategic Cooperation Signing: Jointly Building an International Sports Innovation Ecosystem
On the first morning of the conference, ABSG signed a strategic cooperation agreement with EPSI, marking the official establishment of a global strategic business partnership.
As a leading global SportsTech platform, ABSG is committed to driving the industrialization and internationalization of sports through innovation ecosystem development, capital empowerment, and cross-border collaboration. This strategic partnership with EPSI will not only strengthen ABSG's synergy with the European sports innovation network but also build bridges for the incubation, investment, and commercial landing of Sino-European sports innovation projects.
Together, ABSG and EPSI will provide a powerful suite of professional services including investor and partner matchmaking, joint fundraising support, cross-border business development strategies, and co-development of innovation projects. These services leverage EPSI’s extensive expertise in project coordination, lobbying, business planning, and communications, combined with ABSG’s Asia and global-wide strategic ecosystem, market execution capabilities and five major areas high-value contents & assets.
Focus on Sports Tech and Capital Synergy: Exploring New Trends in the Sports Industry
As one of the key speakers, Mr. Yang participated in a thematic panel discussion alongside representatives from two other EPSI strategic partners. The discussion delved into topics such as "macro-trends driving sports as a global asset, how capital empowers the passion-driven sports industry, the role of technology in creating sports value, and cross-border investment trends."
The panel was moderated by Samir Beg Ceric, Member of the EPSI Steering Committee. The other two speakers were:
- Audra Elena Shallal, Board Member of EBAN - European Business Angels Network
- Jesus Contreras, COO of 28 Digital / EIT Digital
Participating in the Sports Innovation Competition: Supporting Startup Development
In the highly anticipated "Business Innovation Competition" segment, Mr. Yang served as one of the judges evaluating the startup projects. The competition was hosted by Omar El Zayat, Strategic Advisor at EPSI. Four startup teams from Italy, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Greece—O Damp, Eliterro, North 3, and MyFitHub—delivered impressive 5-minute pitches and received real-time feedback from the panel of judges.
Together with the other judges and the live audience, Mr. Yang helped identify the most promising rising stars in sports tech, offering these enterprises professional advice, industry recognition, and investment-related resources.
Although the EPSI 2025 Annual Conference has concluded, the wave of innovation in sports tech continues to surge. ABSG will use this cooperation as a new starting point to accelerate the connection between European and global sports tech resources and further drive the development of the sports tech industry!
