SBC Summit Announces Five Finalists For 2026 First Pitch Startup Competition
Five startups will compete at SBC Summit 2026, with the finalists using artificial intelligence and other technologies to address challenges across the betting and gaming industries.
SBC has announced the five finalists for the 2026 edition of its First Pitch startup competition, held in partnership with BettingStartups.
Betsy, Gmonitor, InsightPlay.ai, Safefy and Whizgen AI (Whizdom AI) will compete on 1 October at the Product Innovation Showcase Stage during SBC Summit 2026.
Each finalist will have three minutes to pitch its product and growth plans, followed by a three-minute question-and-answer session with the judging panel.
The winner will receive a prize package valued at €139,400 (US$162,375), comprising technology services, marketing support, legal services and exhibition opportunities designed to support the company’s next stage of growth.
Five Startups Selected
The finalists are developing technology across several areas of betting and gaming.
Betsy is a social prediction gaming platform designed to turn bets and predictions into shareable content.
Gmonitor uses artificial intelligence to track market activity, including promotions, games, advertising, rankings and regulation, providing competitive intelligence.
InsightPlay.ai provides autonomous AI agents focused on player acquisition, retention, reactivation and customer support.
Safefy uses AI to monitor transactions for suspicious activity and potential losses, while Whizgen AI provides tools for player support, personalised game recommendations and identifying players at risk of leaving an operator.
Startup Hub
The competition forms part of SBC Summit’s expanded Startup Hub, hosted by BettingStartups. The hub combines exhibition space, networking and startup-focused content, with the aim of connecting emerging companies with investors, operators and potential commercial partners.
Paul Mills, Senior Event Director at SBC, said:
What stands out about this year’s finalists is the range of problems they’re trying to solve — from player retention to transaction monitoring and competitive intelligence. Each one is tackling a genuine industry challenge, but from a completely different angle.
One thing’s for sure, the judges are going to have their work cut out for them given the amount of talent on stage this year.
First Pitch Prize Package
The prize package includes one year of API access to sports, gambling and engagement data from Are You Watching This?! and MetaBet, valued at €42,000 (US$48,922).
SBC Events will provide a 3x3-metre exhibition booth and additional benefits worth €15,000, while SBC Media will provide six months of advertising and editorial support valued at €11,000.
The package also includes:
€10,000 in AWS promotional credits
A 12-month CertiIQ compliance platform subscription and add-on valued at €7,400
A Square in the Air marketing package worth €5,000
€4,000 in gaming-related legal services credit from Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld
A €3,000 branding or web design package from Vegas Kings
A GameOn media package worth €2,750
The judging panel comprises Rob Duboff, Director at Velo Partners; Willy Joseph, Global SA Leader, Games, Betting & Gaming and Sports at Amazon Web Services; Paris Smith, Founder & CEO of Defy the Odds; Tom Waterhouse, Founder and CIO of Waterhouse VC; and David Williams, Partner at Discerning Capital.
Jesse Learmonth, Founder of BettingStartups and host of SBC First Pitch, said:
First Pitch gives founders a unique opportunity to demonstrate what they have built in front of people who can help them move forward. The pitch itself may only last a few minutes, but the introductions, feedback and conversations that come from it can have a much longer-term impact.
SBC Summit 2026 will take place from 29 September to 1 October at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and MEO Arena, bringing together more than 40,000 betting and gaming professionals.
