Meet the five startups pitching at SBC Lisbon 2025

First Pitch returns this September at SBC Summit Lisbon, giving five early-stage founders from around the world just three minutes each on stage to convince judges they’re solving some of the industry’s biggest challenges. The competition has become one of the industry’s most visible launchpads for startups, surfacing new ideas and breakthrough technology across virtually every segment.

Sue Schneider, Co-founder of Defy The Odds and SBC’s Community Director, told BettingStartups the diversity of this year’s cohort—which includes five finalists from five different countries—reflects the breadth of innovation happening across gaming.

“There are a lot of people that are just attacking innovation really from all aspects—whether it's marketing, whether it's data, whether it's actual operations,” she said. “Just a whole wide range of things that are emerging out there, which is really fun.”

BettingStartups sat down with each of the five finalists ahead of their live pitch in Lisbon. Here’s who they are.

AIstats (Alexey Vorobey, Co-founder)

What they do: AIstats is building an ecosystem of advanced football metrics, prediction models, and tools for fans and professionals. By combining multiple data sources into original metrics, the upstart aims to make insights more actionable for everyone—from casual fans to scouts and clubs.

What they’re saying: “It’s not only about the current success, it’s also about the future upside… how clear is your vision and your go-to market strategy, how you’re going to conquer the world.” Vorobey says the team has already grown tenfold since last year and is preparing to raise a seed round off the back of strong momentum this season.

Betpass (Bruno Barroso, Co-founder & CEO)

What they do: Betpass offers a white-label platform to launch and manage affiliate networks, even from scratch. The tech handles onboarding, compliance, fraud prevention, payments, and performance tracking, and is already powering 20+ networks.

What they’re saying: “We’re not just a tracker, we take care of all the [entire] affiliate journey and provide a complete marketplace of opportunities to our partners.” Barroso says the company is now profitable and bootstrapped, with eyes set on expanding beyond Brazil’s booming affiliate market.

ChatBet AI (Josh Swerdlow, Co-founder)

What they do: ChatBet AI lets operators take bets directly inside messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, creating what it calls “messaging plus real money gaming.” Early pilots showed double-digit lifts in turnover, retention, and average bet size.

What they’re saying: “We believe that web betting is dead,” Swedlow said. “You could even say front end is dead because you're using a messaging app.” Backed by Meta, Swerdlow wants judges to see ChatBet’s plug-and-play product as the natural evolution of how bettors interact with sportsbooks.

LiveDuel (Will Martin, Founder & CEO)

What they do: LiveDuel is building a decentralized sports prediction market onchain, where users can either place bets or act as liquidity providers. Early testnet launches and live events in Brazil have already shown strong engagement and grassroots traction.

What they’re saying: “The big goal really is to empower the community to be active participants on both sides of the market.” Martin says the team is also investing in creator tools to help streamers and influencers bring prediction markets directly into sports content.

Nandemo Draft (Keigo Namiki, Co-founder)

What they do: Nandemo Draft is Japan’s leading social sports prediction platform, with online and land-based products recognized by the Japanese government for innovation in creating “new ways of enjoying sports.” The company currently partners with 100+ teams and aims to be the go-to entry point for operators eyeing Japan’s future regulated market.

What they’re saying: “Our service is widely used by over 100 sports teams in Japan… and we will be able to help [international operators] expand their reach to the Japanese market.” Namiki adds that with legalization on the horizon, Nandemo Draft is well positioned to convert cultural enthusiasm for predictions into a regulated industry.

First Pitch is always one of the can’t-miss events of the year, and Lisbon 2025 looks no different. If you’re attending, come say hi to the BettingStartups crew while you’re there, and don’t forget you can grab a 50% discounted delegate pass using code BETTINGSTARTUPSVIP at checkout here.

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