DraftKings establishes start-up accelerator for athletes
Drive will be based out of DraftKings' Boston HQ and be led by former CMO Janet Holian
DraftKings has established a start-up accelerator to fund and support sports tech start-ups and pro-athletes interested in joining the tech space.
The venture, dubbed Drive, is led by former DraftKings CMO Janet Holian who stepped down from her position earlier this month to take on the role as Drive CEO full-time.
Drive is based out of DraftKing’s Boston headquarters, and has enlisted the expertise of Atlanta-based venture capitalist Rashaun Williams.
It currently has six staffers and has secured funding from Boston venture capital firms General Catalyst, Accomplice and Boston Seed Capital.
According to the Boston Globe, over 100 athletes, including current and former pro-basketball players will work with the venture.
In Europe, operators have launched similar initiatives to source new innovative products and services in the betting and igaming space.
Paddy Power Betfair hosted an innovation competition at its Romania tech hub last year to find new responsible gambling technologies.