One-liner: the Global Sports Innovation Center, a non-profit sports-innovation association "powered by Microsoft" — Valencia hosts its Testing Lab (digital-transformation diagnosis + validation for sportstech startups), while the global network gives a founder access to 80+ countries, 20,000+ industry executives, and brands like FIFA, Red Bull and Real Sociedad.
What a founder gets
- Valencia Testing Lab — digital-transformation diagnosis and a validation/roadmap service for sportstech products, run out of GSIC's Valencia office. See GSIC Valencia Testing Lab.
- Mentoring & acceleration — incubation/acceleration support delivered with partners including Microsoft for Startups; investor days and VC-advisory access.
- Solutions Catalogue & Innovation Days — member-only scouting platform that puts a startup's product in front of GSIC's corporate/sports-org member base.
- Internationalization — summit attendance and business trips connect a Valencia-based sportstech founder to GSIC's APAC (Singapore) and Americas (USA) nodes.
- Networking — access to 20,000+ sports-industry executives across 80+ countries, working groups, and F2F sessions with named partners (FIFA, Red Bull, Real Sociedad, Lenovo, Wasserman, Singapore Sports Hub, USA Soccer Federation, CONCACAF, FIDE).
- Training — "AI in Sports" online program (via Founderz) and a Master in Digital Transformation (via ESBS Spain), both paid.
Who it's for
- Sportstech / sports-innovation startups, early-stage through growth-stage, that need validation testing, corporate/sports-org distribution routes, or international sports-industry network access — not sector-agnostic.
How to engage
- Contact the Valencia Testing Lab directly (see below) to scope a testing/validation engagement, or apply for GSIC membership for Solutions Catalogue + networking access.
- Flagship annual event: GSIC Summit Valencia (2026 edition 7–8 October, early-bird tickets to 31 July 2026) — see GSIC Summit Valencia.
Key facts
- Founded 2015; non-profit association "powered by Microsoft"; three pillars: Innovate, Connect, Grow.
- Leadership: Iris Córdoba (General Manager, Madrid) · Juan Fuentes (Director, GSIC Testing Lab, Valencia) · Peggy Tng (APAC Lead, Singapore) · José Ardila (Americas Lead, USA).
- HQ Madrid: Calle Goya 90, 28009 Madrid. Also present in Singapore (20 Collyer Quay, #09-01, 049319).
- Named partners: Microsoft, FIFA, Red Bull, Real Sociedad, Lenovo, Wasserman, Singapore Sports Hub, USA Soccer Federation, CONCACAF, FIDE. #status/verify (site content, not independently cross-checked beyond the homepage).
- Valencia Testing Lab opened 2025; per Director Juan Fuentes' LinkedIn recap (2026-07-04), it has connected ~1,000 executives and given 50+ startups growth opportunities in its first season. Confirmed local ecosystem integrations: an MoU with Startup Valencia; participation in Techstars Startup Weekend Valencia; a founder pipeline into Invest in Valencia (foreign-founder landing), Lanzadera (acceleration), IBV (biomechanics/testing exposure), and BigBan / Valencia Innovation Capital (early-stage investor access).
- Fuentes also co-chairs EBAN Sports (European Business Angel Network's sports-tech committee, ~40 EU investors) — a plausible secondary route to early-stage sports-tech capital beyond GSIC's own programs.
Relations
- Runs: GSIC Valencia Testing Lab
- Runs: GSIC Summit Valencia
- Partners with: Startup Valencia
- Partners with: Invest in Valencia
- Partners with: Lanzadera
- Partners with: BigBan
- Partners with: Valencia Innovation Capital
- See also: Sports (niche)
- See also: IBV
- See also: 4iCV