SBC Summit Americas has partnered with BettingStartups to bolster its support for early-stage companies, focusing on facilitating connections between founders and investors and introducing new ideas to the Americas market.
This collaboration assigns BettingStartups the role of official host of the Startup Zone at the SBC Summit Americas 2026. The zone will include 13 exhibition booths and a dedicated lounge, providing startups with a significant presence on the show floor and access to key decision-makers, with 51% of last year’s attendees having budget responsibility.
BettingStartups is a major player in the early-stage gaming sector, supporting founders through its media platform, podcast, newsletter, events and investment activities. This partnership will leverage their network to bring a select group of high-quality startups to the event, allowing attendees to engage with emerging innovations that are shaping the industry’s future.
A notable feature of the Startup Zone’s programming will be the First Pitch Americas Competition, scheduled for Thursday June 11th from 2:00pm to 2:40pm on the Leaders Stage. Hosted by BettingStartups founder Jesse Learmonth, the competition will feature five standout startups pitching live to a panel of leading investors and executives.
The competition offers a Grand Prize Package worth $108,900, aimed at accelerating the winner’s growth and industry presence. Prizes include a 3x3m exhibition booth at SBC Summit Americas 2027 and additional contributions from Are You Watching This?!, MetaBet, AWS, GameOn, Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC, Square in the Air and Vegas Kings.
The judging panel comprises Paris Smith, Defy the Odds; Javier Altamirano, Sportradar; Evan Meyer, Astralus Capital Management; Scott Secord, Cardinal Sports Capital; and Meredith McPherson, DRIVE by DraftKings.
Attendees can also benefit from educational content like the Fundraising 101: Win Your First Round workshop on June 11th from 11:00am to 12:00pm. Led by Shaun Gold, Chief Evangelist at OpenVC, this session aims to provide founders with a practical roadmap to securing early-stage investment.
This partnership aims to establish SBC Summit Americas as a must-attend event for startups, investors and operators in the region. By combining SBC’s extensive reach with BettingStartups’ specialised ecosystem, the collaboration seeks to attract high-potential companies, create pre-event buzz and deliver unique content focused on startups.
Rasmus Sojmark, Founder & CEO of SBC, says: “This partnership strengthens our commitment to innovation and supporting the next generation of companies shaping the future of gaming in the Americas.
“BettingStartups brings a highly engaged community and deep understanding of the startup ecosystem, which will elevate both the quality of exhibitors and the overall experience for attendees.”
Jesse Learmonth, Founder of BettingStartups, adds: “SBC Summit Americas is a key meeting point for the industry in the region, and we are excited to play a central role in building out its startup offering.
“Our focus is on bringing the most exciting early-stage companies to the event and giving founders a platform to be seen, heard and funded.”
SBC Americas 2026 takes place from June 9th to 11th, at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale. This year, SBC introduces the SBC Connections networking program, featuring eight new ways for attendees to connect, alongside a new five-tier ticketing system to give participants greater control over their experience based on business priorities.
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