Startups to watch

Profiles of startups reshaping sporting goods across the value chain—from materials innovation, design and advanced manufacturing, and retail tech and AI to new product categories and community-driven business models.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

david goldsbury via unsplash

LifeLabs and the science of a cooler swing

2026-02-09T13:20:00+00:00By

A materials science company chose golf—not Everest—to prove its cooling fabric works where people actually play. The strategy reveals how innovation reaches mass markets

Startups to watch in 2026

OURA x USTA

Oura lands its third major US sports body in six months

2026-05-06T12:36:00+01:00By

The USTA’s first wearable deal covers US Open players, grassroots programs and the federation’s 2027 Player Performance Center.

Left to right_ LifeLabs Co-Founder & CEO Sophia Ou, Stanford Professor & LifeLabs Co-Founder Yi Cui, Shinhan CEO JH Lee

LifeLabs scales WarmLife with South Korean production partner

2026-04-09T10:14:00+01:00By

The San Francisco materials science company has enlisted a South Korean textile specialist to scale its temperature-regulating textile innovation

castore ocula

Castore chooses Ocula AI for product content

2026-04-07T12:41:00+01:00By

Castore has chosen AI platform Ocula Technologies to optimize product copy and metadata across its global ecommerce catalog.

whoop body 3

Seven elite athletes back Whoop on Series G round

2026-04-01T15:45:00+01:00By

Ronaldo, James, McIlroy and four other elite professionals join sovereign funds and medtech giant Abbott in a $575m round valuing Whoop, the performance wearable platform, at $10.1bn.

luluepoc

Lululemon backs nylon biorecycling startup

2026-03-30T05:47:00+01:00By

London startup Epoch Biodesign closes $12m round with Lululemon as a backer, targeting the unsolved problem of nylon 6,6 recycling at scale.

Fence_Luke_Pic_Caddix

NFL champion, NWSL star back cleat startup Caddix

2026-03-27T15:29:00+00:00By

The Baltimore startup targeting ACL and lower-body injury reduction secures backing from a Super Bowl quarterback and an NWSL defender.

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