MLS Innovation Lab has confirmed its second group of tech leaders

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Image credit: Shutterstock.com/YES Market Media

Major League Soccer (MLS) confirmed six companies have been chosen for the second edition of the MLS Innovation Lab, an initiative that is shaping the future of sports and supporting the league’s ongoing growth.

The initiative seeks to identify and support innovative start-ups and advanced technologies. The new cohort will focus on enhancing the league’s priorities in fan engagement, on-field performance, and media technology.

The MLS Innovation Lab was established in the autumn of 2023 to advance the league’s leadership in sports technology. After nine months of evaluation, selected companies showcased their innovations at the 2024 MLS All-Star Game in Columbus.

This event featured live demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies such as advanced GPS player tracking, AI-driven real-time language dubbing, and augmented reality experiences for fans.

In its second iteration, companies will have the chance to present their ideas in real-world settings within the MLS ecosystem. This includes opportunities at events like December’s MLS NEXT Fest in California, the Generation adidas Cup, the MLS NEXT Cup, and the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by All-State.

MLS Senior Vice President of Emerging Ventures, Chris Schlosser, mentioned the excitement of joining forces with scalable businesses from around the world.

“MLS continues to be at the forefront of innovation in global sports, The Innovation lab program provides an unparalleled opportunity for high performing companies to turbo-charge their growth, and to showcase their capabilities to the soccer world,” he said via press release.

“We are very excited to partner with this group of excellent start-ups from around the world to co-create new ideas and push the boundaries in sports.”

The following companies have been selected for the second cohort of the MLS Innovation Lab:

Edge Sound Research

EDGE Sound Research is a US-based leader in multimodal audio technology for live entertainment venues and virtual environments. The company focuses on real-time audio object isolation to create personalised experiences for diverse audiences. This innovation allows users to immerse themselves in the worlds of their favourite athletes, musicians, or characters, making unforgettable moments accessible through advanced sound technology.

OLIVER Sports

Based in Spain, OLIVER Sports is at the forefront of player performance monitoring technology, utilising AI to make elite-level data accessible to all soccer players and clubs. Their GPS trackers gather both athletic and soccer-specific metrics, including ball interactions. By providing actionable insights, OLIVER Sports enables coaches and players to improve performance, minimise injuries, and optimise training.

Soccerment

Soccerment, based in Italy, is a sports technology firm offering AI-driven data analytics tools and scalable tracking solutions to improve performance analysis across all levels of soccer. By focusing on proprietary performance indicators and advanced metrics like Expected Goals, Soccerment provides clubs, academies, and players with valuable insights. Their ecosystem features two key products: XSEED, smart shin guards that gather data, and XVALUE, a soccer analytics platform that delivers advanced metrics for match analysis and scouting.

Sportlight

Sportlight Technology is a UK-based sports tech startup that is transforming athlete tracking, physical performance, and injury risk management through its patented LiDAR and AI technology. Their wearable-free system provides elite sports organisations with exceptional accuracy and insights, enhancing player development, injury risk assessment, and rehabilitation. Installed in major stadiums in both the U.S. and abroad, Sportlight is a trusted partner for elite sports teams and leagues.

Lubu

Lubu Technologies, based in Los Angeles, is developing AI-powered wearable technologies aimed at improving athletic performance and recovery. The company has created a footwear-focused solution that analyses how the force of every step, sprint, and cut impacts performance and health. By tracking force impacts, cleat performance, and foot pressure during critical moments, Lubu offers athletes and coaches valuable insights to help optimise performance and enhance gameplay.

Wicket

Wicket, based in Cambridge, Mass, offers a facial authentication platform that enhances event experiences at over 40 stadiums across the U.S. and internationally. Utilising patented computer vision technology, Wicket partners with industry leaders to provide an exceptional guest experience through facial recognition for ticketing, payments, access control, and credentialing. As a privacy-first company, Wicket’s products are designed for opt-in use only.

For additional information on MLS Innovation Lab, click here.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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