The Starties celebrates industry startups in NYC

The most promising early stage companies in real-money gaming were recognized across 9 award categories at the inaugural edition of The Starties

Author

Betting Startups
March 17, 2025

Billed as the gaming industry awards for startups, by startups, The Starties held its debut awards show on March 12 to a sold-out crowd of almost 200 people.

The event was held in lower Manhattan at INTER_ NYC, an interactive, multisensory, immersive art experience. The two-story venue took attendees on a visual odyssey that culminated in the awards theatre - a standing room only 360 degree indoor sphere.

The formalities kicked off with a welcome speech by co-producers Travis Geiger and Jesse Learmonth, which was followed by a “Tie Talk” by three-time Olympic gold medalist LaShawn Merritt. The talk focused on the importance of preparedness in competition - a message equally applicable to business as it is sports.

With a tightly produced visual display backed by the turntables of a live DJ, the energy and spirit was high as the 9 coveted Golden Tie awards were awarded.

Winners of the Golden Ties at the debut edition of The Starties were:

  • Launch of the Year: Promofy (category sponsored by BettingStartups)

  • Best Collaboration: Plucky (category sponsored by WagerWire)

  • Coolest Cap Table: THNDR (category sponsored by GME Law)

  • Best Bootstrapper: Linemate (category sponsored by XST Capital)

  • Marketing Genius: LiveDuel (category sponsored by Optimove Ignite+)

  • Charity Act: EmpowerYourPlay (category sponsored by FoodFight)

  • Best Tech: ShotQuality (category sponsored by Sportradar Futures Hub)

  • Defied The Odds: EmpowerYourPlay (category sponsored by Defy The Odds)

  • Startup of the Year: Sparket (category sponsored by Eberg Capital)

Winners of the Golden Tie at the inaugural edition of The Starties, with Olympic gold medalist LaShawn Merritt (L) and event co-producer Travis Geiger (R). Photo credit: Desiree Dickerson

Reviews of The Starties

Almost 200 ticketed guests attended The Starties, and the early feedback tells the story of what attendees experienced:

“WOW WOW WOW! The Starties - what can I say. Every detail was pure genius, from the mind-bending visuals to the golden ties as trophies (I mean...) handed out by Olympic gold medalist Lashawn Merritt, this was an awards show like nothing the industry has ever seen ⭐️

Anoosha Iftikhar, NEXT.io (Linkedin)

“The Starties set a new standard for industry awards - fast-paced, unconventional, and a lot of fun, just like the startups they celebrate.”

Jack Tadman, GME Law (Linkedin)

“What a brilliant night at the inaugural The Starties last night - easily the most fun industry awards I've been to. Last night was a great reminder of how vibrant, friendly and collegiate this industry can be.”

Elizabeth Dunn, Bird & Bird LLP (Linkedin)

“The event was really unique and unlike any award show I’ve ever attended in the gambling industry. From the trippy location to the music, disposable cameras, pizza slices and black ties for everyone - it was just perfect and I can’t wait for next year!”

Catie Di Stefano, Vegas Kings (Linkedin)

“The Starties were exactly what they should have been… beautifully chaotic, just as startups are. The term “black tie” took on a whole new meaning. Just a pile of black ties draped over people’s shoulders, a metaphorical middle finger to formal awards shows.”

Chris Shreeve, Staked AI (Linkedin)

What comes next

Betting Startups News caught up with Starties co-producer Travis Geiger to get his initial reflections on the night, and where it goes from here.

“I’m absolutely blown away by the response, energy, and positivity from everybody that joined us on March 12. It was always the goal for The Starties to unite the community, and it more than exceeded my expectations. It was just a beautiful night of celebrating the entrepreneurial journey. I couldn’t be happier with how everything went.”

In their opening comments at the start of the awards, Geiger and Learmonth noted that The Starties were pulled together in around 60 days.

“I’m proud of what we pulled off in a short amount of time,” Geiger said. “Most awards shows get 365 days to plan their event. We did it in a fraction of that time. People loved their experience at The Starties, so it will only get better from here.”

On that topic, we asked Geiger what happens next following the successful debut.

“It’s safe to assume we’ll be doing this again, but still too soon to say when or where. We’ve had a few people ask for a European edition, so that could be interesting. We set the bar high with this first event, so it will be fun to think about how we top it!”