Five startups revealed as finalists for First Pitch 2026 Americas at SBC Summit

(AsiaGameHub) –   SBC has unveiled the five start-ups competing for the 2026 edition of First Pitch 2026 Americas, in partnership with BettingStartups, during SBC Summit Americas.

The competition will feature the most innovative sports betting and gaming start-ups presenting their products to a distinguished panel of industry experts, with the champion receiving a prize package worth more than $100,000 to aid their expansion.

The finalists will compete on the Leaders Stage on Thursday, 11 June, delivering a three-minute presentation followed by a Q&A session before a live audience and an expert judging panel.

This year’s finalists are:

• Insight Play AI, Inc. – InsightPlay utilizes AI agents as customer service representatives for operators, offering both text and voice support. Operators utilizing this service have already begun reactivating dormant players across Latin America.
• Odditt – A platform assisting sportsbooks, prediction markets, and DFS operators in offering ready-made combo and parlay bets, complete with simple explanations for the rationale behind each grouping.
• OddsBlaze – A real-time sports betting data platform providing operators, traders, and product teams with rapid access to odds, market movements, arbitrage alerts, and betting APIs.
• ParlayX – A prediction market aggregator designed to assist sports betting syndicates in comparing opportunities and acting on market insights more efficiently.
• The Sharps – A bankroll tournament platform that merges the strategy and competitive structure of poker with sports handicapping, utilizing traditional sportsbook wagers instead of cards.

To decide this year’s winner, SBC has assembled a panel of judges with extensive backgrounds in sports betting, iGaming, investment, start-up development, and venture capital.

The panel includes Paris Smith (Founder and CEO, DefytheOdds), Javier Altamirano, Global Head of Startup, Sportradar), Evan Meyer (Managing Partner, Astralus Capital Management), Scott Secord (Partner, Cardinal Sports Capital), Meredith McPherson (CEO & Managing Partner, DRIVE by DraftKings), with Jesse Learmonth, of The Betting Startups Podcast, returning to host this year’s competition.

Paul Mills, Event Director at SBC, stated: “This year’s First Pitch highlights the abundance of start-up talent emerging across the Americas, with finalists introducing fresh concepts across AI, prediction markets, fantasy, data, and betting infrastructure.

“SBC is honored to provide these companies with a stage to pitch their products, network with investors, and establish the connections necessary to foster their next phase of growth.”

The winning start-up will receive a prize package valued at over $100,000, comprising a mix of promotional, technical, legal, and business development services to support their growth.

The package includes:

• MetaBet & Are You Watching This?: One year of API access to sports data from Are You Watching This? and gambling data from MetaBet, valued at $48,000.
• AWS: $10,000 of AWS Credits for eligible AWS services and support from infrastructure technologies like compute, storage, and databases, as well as emerging technologies such as generative AI, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
• GameOn: Press releases, an interview, and a video interview shared to GameOn social media, worth $3,500.
• Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC: $5,000 worth of gaming-related legal services.
• Square in the Air: Video package, social media audit, and competitor analysis worth $5,000.
• Vegas Kings: A web design package worth $3,000.
• SBC Media: Promotional advertising and PR package worth $11,000.
• SBC Events: A 3x3m booth and four complimentary tickets worth $15,000.
• CertilQ: 12 months of access to CertilQ’s Technical Compliance Management Platform, worth $4,000.

Attendees holding a Conference, Business, or VIP Pass can all watch the live First Pitch final on the Leaders Stage on Thursday, 11 June at 2:20 pm.

Get your tickets:

• Conference Pass ($399) – Includes access to the show floor, all conference and workshop sessions, and basic access to SBC Connect. Pass holders can also join the Inner Circle, offering exclusive speaker chats and deeper discussions on key panel topics.
• Business Pass ($549) – Includes everything in the Conference Pass, plus full access to SBC Connections networking sessions and enhanced SBC Connect features for messaging and meeting requests.
• VIP Pass ($799) – Full event access, including the show floor, conference sessions, daytime networking (SBC Connections), evening parties, and advanced access to SBC Connect features. VIP attendees also receive a pre-loaded card for the Food Festival.