After launching an innovation lab in September 2017, Arsenal announced on Monday (19th March) that six startup companies presented their work to help improve the fan experience for the North London club.

Each company presented a service for Arsenal in the hope of enhancing the entire fan experience. Arsenal will decide soon if it will establish a commercial relationship to push forward each company’s initiative. The presentations were part of a 10-week programme that essentially served as a competition between the startups.

The companies that presented to Arsenal are:

• Peak
  A company that focuses in data analytics based in Manchester. During the programme they used data and artificial intelligence to help Arsenal get a deeper understanding of factors that influence traffic to the Arsenal.com website. Founded in 2014, it has grown rapidly and, in 2015, won Tech North’s Northern Stars competition as a ‘top tech startup in the UK’.
• BotNation
  French startup that creates Artificial Intelligence chatbots on messaging apps, voice apps and websites. On the programme they helped Arsenal provide support with purchases on the ArsenalDirect e-commerce store. They are already used by 700 companies in 53 countries.
• WoraPay
  A mobile ordering and payment technology company. On the programme they focused on helping Arsenal improve the matchday experience for supporters by allowing them to place orders, make payments and have their food and beverage delivered. Based in London, WoraPay’s tech is already being distributed to UK retailers by the Lloyds Banking Group and Mastercard.
• I like that
  ‘I like that’ is a London-based startup that offers a complete and on-demand retail experience where users can purchase directly from international media sites, including Arsenal.com, without having to navigate to the club’s e-commerce store, ArsenalDirect.com. This provides a revenue stream for publisher websites as well as retailers.
• KonnecTo
  Artificial Intelligence-based data analysis platform, based in Tel Aviv. They have helped Arsenal analyse their supporters’ interactions with the club and translate that information into actionable insights. They have worked closely with the Partnerships team to provide a deeper understanding of Arsenal’s supporter base and helped identify potential partnerships.
• Aireal
  Aireal allows digital content to coexist in reality using geospatial augmented reality, visible through mobile devices. The Dallas based company is helping Arsenal engage with its global supporters by providing them with the ability to place static and moving 3D digital objects, such as players or trophies, anywhere in the world for fans to interact with. This will create infinite ways for the club’s supporters to experience the Arsenal world like never before.

It’s worth noting that these six companies were selected out of over 250 applicants to be featured in the programme. While each company aspires to work further with Arsenal, it’s already quite the milestone to reach this point in the process. The Gunners are one of the most successful clubs in the world both on and off the pitch, and will always have plenty of resources available to maintain their lucrative status.