Technology

audience of tennis and racquet sports leaders, in a Shark Tank-like competi- tion. Geer made the pitch for Bleachr’s TennisONE App (bleachr.co), which beat out Hydrogen Sports’ Proton and Mojjo’s PLAYR. The runner-up, Hydrogen Sports’ Proton (hydrogensports.com) is a ro- botic ball machine that is less than half the size and weight of other ball ma- chines, and smart enough to automati- cally aim shots. The user taps the court location on a mobile phone and selects the ball’s speed and spin. PLAYR’s Mojjo (mojjo.io) is a unique technology based on image process- ing and Artificial Intelligence that is capable of analyzing a match “on the fly.” The system is intended for clubs, academies and schools, and uses a touch-screen computer and two fixed cameras on the court. A smartphone can be synchronized as a third camera. The Innovation Challenge was cre- MOBILE APP ated by former TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. There were 21 applicants for the fifth edition of the Challenge, High Tech which was moderated by Carlos Salum, president of Salum International Bleachr’s unique TennisONE App, Resources, a leadership performance strategy consultancy based in Char- designed for 'all things tennis,' wins lotte, N.C. The panel of judges included Mike Barrell, coach for more than 30 Tennis Industry Innovation Challenge. years and the director of evolve9; Louis Foreman, founder and chief executive of Enventys Partners; Dr. Stuart Miller, senior executive director of Integrity & leachr LLC’s TennisONE professional events, including the Development at the ITF; Keith Storey, App is a mobile hub for , Western & Southern Open president of Sports Marketing Surveys; all things tennis—provid- in Cincinnati, Rogers Cup in Montreal and Maik Burlage, a former ATP tour ing live scoring, AI “ball and Toronto, Masters, Winston- player who is the CEO and co-founder tracer” technology, player Salem Open, BB&T Atlanta Open and of technology company Wingfield. Bstats, social games and other tennis Hall of Fame Open. The first Tennis Industry Innovation content—and was the winner earlier While the coronavirus has for now Challenge was held in March 2017 and this year of the fifth Tennis Industry shut down pro tournaments, the was won by Tennibot (tennibot.com), a Innovation Challenge. ­TennisONE App has changed to live- robotic tennis ball collector. The second “The new TennisONE app is a fresh streaming players and industry leaders Challenge, held in August 2017, was won approach to help unite the sport by on a forum called “Changeover Chat.” by In/Out (inout.tennis), a line-calling bringing together tennis players, fans, The fifth edition of the Tennis Indus- device that fits on any netpost. tournaments and industry organiza- try Innovation Challenge, sponsored by The third Innovation Challenge, in tions into one mobile platform,” says the Tennis Industry Association, was April 2018, was won by Tweener Light- Kristin Geer, CEO of Bleachr. “The held at the Racquet & Paddle Sports ing (tweener-lighting.com), a unique app’s predictive social games are Show in Orlando, Fla. Three finalists, LED system that attaches to existing revolutionary in how they will directly chosen from an online application fencing. The fourth Challenge, in Janu- connect sponsor brands to the highly- process, presented five-minute pitches ary 2019, was won by Sparc (playsparc. desirable tennis demographic.” about their new product or service to a com) by CCP Games, a virtual reality Bleachr partners with a number of panel of judges, and in front of an game. •

18 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY June 2020 www.tennisindustrymag.com www.tennisindustrymag.com