MEDIA RELEASE
Monday May 25, 2020
The founders of Friends of Mr Ed, Fred for short, have the Fred app on fast track as part of the inaugural Sports and Event Tech Accelerator program being run by Startupbootcamp.
Set to become a stablemate on Australia’s startup scene for the next three years, Startupbootcamp’s 3-year Sports & EventTech focused program will be based in the heart of Melbourne. Funded by LaunchVic, Victoria’s startup agency, innovators will be nurtured to harness ideas and fuel products that will create a better experience for sports fans at major events.
With tracks and stadiums spectator-free until the COVID-19 situation eases, there is greater opportunity for tech innovations that create or amplify sporting experiences where being physically present is not required. The Fred app gives racehorse owners the chance to connect virtually with other owners and share the thrill of ownership both on and off the track.
The team behind Fred are racehorse owners themselves and have dreamt of a more engaging, personalised and easy owner experience. Co-Founder, Amy Thompson, left her day job two years ago to work full time on bringing their vision to life and says that decision was validated by being selected as one of the world’s top 10 early stage SportsTech startups.
“We are thrilled Fred was accepted into the program. We are ready to launch to the masses and the timing could not be better given the launch of our Fred app into both the Google Play and Apple App stores will coincide right before the culmination of the program on ‘demo day’,” Ms Thompson said.
Startupbootcamp will support Fred during an intense 3-month program enabling the team to work with industry corporate partners and sporting bodies, receiving hands-on mentorship from over 100 industry experts, seed funding and access to a global network of investors.
Co-Founder Richard Busso, added:
“Our 2019 Minimum Viable Product was launched into the Apple app store with overwhelming success last year and now we are ready to re-launch with our refined product, this time with both Android and Apple users covered. Being part of this program will be a lot of hard work, but that’s what’s got us here in the first place so it will be all worth it.”
Fred mentor Justin Harman, Head of Entrepreneur in residence for Startupbootcamp Australia, echoed the excitement:
“Having a high calibre of Melbourne based, early stage startup like Friends of Mr Ed in the 2020 cohort reinforces the fact Melbourne has a lot of energy and innovation to offer at a global scale. My focus with the team at Fred will be to refine their value proposition and product to a point where global expansion is the natural next step.”
The intense daily work program that the accelerator promises will offer a mix of masterclasses and expert-led sessions, unmatched access to a global network of mentors, corporate partners, industry experts and Startupbootcamp alumni from over 40 countries, with teams required to move fast and deliver, ready for demo day on August 25.
To read more about the program see: https://www.startupbootcamp.org/accelerator/sport-eventtech-melbourne/
To discover more about Fred see: www.friendsofmred.com
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