A group of industry leaders formed the Sports Tech Research Network two years ago to convene sports practitioners, academics and entrepreneurs around shared values and standards. Born from that effort was a white paper, the Quality Framework for Sports Technologies, to provide evidence-based assessments for product evaluations.

But ultimately there were calls for more, and two of the white paper’s authors — Sam Robertson from TCG Advisory and Jessica Zendler from Rimkus Consulting — are now the founding co-directors of a new body, the Institute for Sports Tech Standards, that seeks to test product quality, establish accredited standards and consult on approval programs.

ISTS was formed from a strategic partnership between TCG Advisory and Rimkus and initially will focus mostly on collaborations with governing bodies but will expand to work with teams and tech vendors, too.

“There’s no Consumer Reports of sports tech,” Zendler said. “Everyone wants this, but no one does it. So what do we need to do to make it happen?”

Zendler, who is director of Rimkus’ sports science practice, is manager for the NBA/NBPA Wearables Validation Program; Robertson, a former Victoria Univ. professor, has extensive experience working with FIFA’s Quality Program.

Robertson also previously served as a performance coach in soccer, rugby and Australian football, and has consulted for MLB, NFL and NBA teams. What he’s found is that many people in roles designed to be athlete-facing coaches or sport scientists have now largely become “applied technologists” spending upwards of 80% of their time managing software and hardware. All of them are inundated with inbound pitches of new tech, and none has the time to do proper validation.

“This was a classic problem that everyone in sport — particularly in the performance area, but also in the business space — would say, ‘We need to have better information about the technology we take on board,’” Robertson said. “But the reality is, it was a nice-to-have, rather than a must-have, and it’s only recently that shifted. The knocks on the doors became so frequent, so loud, that we thought, ‘Well, it’s time to do something about it.’”

The NBA and FIFA have taken leading roles in organizing technology vetting protocols, but those are deliberately bespoke to the needs of their sport and circumstance.

“A strategic labor of love on our part is to get more global standards out there that sports can agree upon that are going to cross-boundaries, cross-sports, cross-geographical regions,” Robertson said. “Once they are there, we can get a level of efficiency in what we’re doing.”

Tech vendors, especially startups operating on limited budgets, can’t afford multiple expensive testing program certifications. Those manufacturers would be glad to have a “paint-by-numbers” approach to validation, she added, because each league or governing body has different rules and associated fees — enough to hinder the focus on innovation.

Getting broader buy-in is a goal for the ISTS, which is working with the IEEE — a standards body Zendler described as having a “well-respected, high-integrity, public process” — on player and object tracking as its first project.

“We have seen this redundancy now happening, and this is not an efficient use of resources or anyone’s time,” Zendler said. “So can we make a way where it’s more of a third-party test institute that the governing body will say, ‘We’ll trust the report from that.’”

Both co-directors have PhDs and have held roles in academia — Zendler directed Michigan’s Performance Research Laboratory; Robertson led Victoria’s Sports Performance & Business program — but explained that most universities are set up more for innovation and research rather than testing. Higher education labs also tend to move more slowly.

Robertson, who has experience working with an accelerator in Melbourne, realized that young companies aren’t incentivized to seek testing early in the development timeline.

“It wasn’t lost on me that every single founder in that gets zero training on showing the quality of their product,” he said. “It’s all around getting a minimum viable product and attracting investment. That’s to be expected, but somewhere along the line you need to know [whether] your product is any good.”

Business deals in the health and wellness sector are thriving as companies work to broaden their offerings, embrace innovation, and maintain an edge in a market shaped by shifting consumer priorities. Mergers and acquisitions have emerged as a central strategy, with global conglomerates and category leaders acquiring emerging and niche wellness brands to access new demographics and align with high-growth trends such as functional nutrition, mental health, fitness tech, and holistic self-care. Strategic partnerships – whether between wellness brands and healthcare providers, fitness platforms, or high-profile athletes – are also becoming more common, leveraging trusted voices and communities to boost engagement and customer loyalty.

At the same time, private equity and venture capital firms are increasingly targeting high-potential health and wellness startups, drawn to their scalable models and disruptive approaches to preventative health, longevity, and personalized care. Cross-industry collaborations, such as alliances between wellness companies and technology innovators, are also accelerating breakthroughs in areas like wearable health monitoring, telehealth integration, and data-driven wellness programs. These deals underscore the sector’s rapid evolution and its drive to meet growing demand for solutions that blend physical, mental, and digital well-being.

With this backdrop, here is a tracker of the most recent mergers, acquisitions, and investments in the health, wellness, and fitness space …

Aug. 14, 2025 – THG Group Sells Claremont Ingredients  for £103M

THG Group, owner of MyProtein, has agreed to sell its Claremont Ingredients business to international flavour specialist Nactarome for £103 million. Claremont, a UK-based flavor manufacturing and development lab serving sports nutrition, bakery, and beverage sectors, joined THG Nutrition in 2020 to accelerate MyProtein’s global licensing and new product development efforts. THG said the deal delivers a “significant return” through cash generation and sale proceeds, while preserving a long-term supply relationship with Nactarome.

“Claremont has been a huge success, building MyProtein’s global licensing franchise from a standing start,” said THG CEO Matthew Moulding. “The level of interest reflects the quality of the business and the value embedded across THG’s portfolio.” Nactarome, majority-owned by TA Associates, operates in nine European countries and said the deal marks its entry into sports nutrition, complementing its flavour and ingredient expertise.

Aug. 8, 2025 – Ditto Daily Raises £1.35M Pre-Seed

U.K.-based Ditto Daily has raised £1.35 million ($1.72 million) in pre-seed funding to expand its science-backed Cycle Supplement for menstrual symptoms. Led by Eka Ventures with participation from Jean-Baptiste Wautier, the round will fund clinical research, product innovation, and channel growth. Co-developed with Dr. Anita Mitra, the supplement uses “beadlet-in-oil” nutrient delivery for enhanced absorption and has seen strong uptake since its launch four months ago. A recent clinical trial showed 88% of participants reported reduced symptom severity.

“For too long, there has been a huge disconnect between what science understands and the solutions available,” said founder and nutrition scientist Alice van der Schoot. “This funding allows us to accelerate our research and deliver more evidence-based solutions to the billions of women who need them.”

Jul. 8, 2025 – Othership Raises $8.5M to Expand Wellness Clubs

Othership, the immersive wellness brand blending sauna, cold plunge, and breathwork, has closed an $8.5 million SAFE note to fuel its New York City expansion. The round includes strategic backing from Rocana Ventures, Vine Ventures, Winklevoss Capital, Blake Mycoskie, Kerry Washington, NBA star Bradley Beal, and Devon Lévesque. CEO Robbie Bent clarified that reports citing an $11.3 million raise were inaccurate.

Following the success of its Flatiron location, Othership will open a new Williamsburg club this fall, with a 13,000-square-foot flagship to follow. The upcoming space will double the size of its current offering and introduce a “bathing wing” with steam rooms, warm pools, 1:1 emotional therapies, and expanded class programming.

“We’re evolving to meet member needs,” said Bent. “There’s a natural opportunity to bring emotional wellness into the traditional bathhouse model.”

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Connexa Sports’s 15-minute chart has recently triggered a MACD Death Cross, a KDJ Death Cross, and a Bearish Marubozu at 08/14/2025 13:45. These technical indicators suggest that the stock price has the potential to continue its downward trajectory, as the momentum is shifting towards the downside and sellers are in control of the market. The bearish momentum is likely to persist, as the stock price has the potential to further decrease.

Connexa Sports Technologies Inc. (YYAI), a company specializing in advanced matchmaking technology and AI-powered platforms, has recently experienced significant technical indicators suggesting a potential downward trend in its stock price. On August 14, 2025, at 13:45, the 15-minute chart of Connexa Sports triggered a MACD Death Cross, a KDJ Death Cross, and a Bearish Marubozu candlestick pattern. These indicators, combined with the stock’s recent volatility and short interest, indicate a potential continuation of the downward trajectory.

The MACD Death Cross, a technical indicator that combines the MACD and signal lines, signals a potential reversal in the stock’s price trend. When the MACD line crosses below the signal line, it is considered a bearish signal. Similarly, the KDJ Death Cross, a combination of the K and D lines of the KDJ oscillator, also signals a potential downward trend when the D line crosses below the K line. The Bearish Marubozu pattern, characterized by a long white candle with no wicks, indicates strong selling pressure and a potential downward trend.

Connexa Sports has shown significant short interest, with 157,500 shares shorted as of July 15, 2025, representing a 3,050% increase from the previous month [1]. The stock’s volatility is evident, with a one-year price range from $0.35 to $16.50. Despite the recent technical indicators, Connexa Sports continues to receive institutional support. A hedge fund, Private Advisor Group LLC, purchased 38,400 shares of the company’s stock during the first quarter of 2025 [1]. Institutional investors hold approximately 4.03% of the company’s stock.

On August 11, 2025, the stock price fell by -13.47% from $4.75 to $4.11, with a market capitalization of $51.98 million [2]. The stock traded up 1.1% to $3.57 on July 15, 2025. The stock is expected to rise 182.24% during the next 3 months, with a 90% probability of holding a price between $5.08 and $13.55 at the end of this 3-month period [2]. However, the short-term Moving Average signals a sell, while the long-term average signals a buy, indicating a general buy signal in the stock. The stock may meet resistance from the short-term Moving Average at approximately $4.19 and find support from the long-term average at approximately $2.07.

Connexa Sports Technologies Inc. engages in the sports equipment and technology business in the United States, offering products such as Slinger Launcher and Slinger Bag Launcher, as well as AI technology and performance analytics for sports through its Gameface platform.

References:
[1] https://www.marketbeat.com/instant-alerts/connexa-sports-technologies-inc-nasdaqyyai-short-interest-up-30500-in-july-2025-08-01/
[2] https://stockinvest.us/stock/YYAI

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday refused for now to block enforcement of a Mississippi law aimed at regulating the use of social media by children, an issue of growing national concern.

The justices rejected an emergency appeal from a tech industry group representing major platforms like Facebook, X and YouTube.

NetChoice is challenging laws passed in Mississippi and other states that require social media users to verify their ages, and asked the court to keep the measure on hold while a lawsuit plays out.

There were no noted dissents from the brief, unsigned order. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that there’s a good chance NetChoice will eventually succeed in showing that the law is unconstitutional, but hadn’t shown it must be blocked while the lawsuit unfolds.

NetChoice argues that the Mississippi law threatens privacy rights and unconstitutionally restricts the free expression of users of all ages.

A federal judge agreed and prevented the 2024 law from taking effect. But a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in July that the law could be enforced while the lawsuit proceeds.

It’s the latest legal development as court challenges play out against similar laws in states across the country.

Parents and even some teenagers are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media use on young people. Supporters of the new laws have said they are needed to help curb the explosive use of social media among young people, and what researchers say is an associated increase in depression and anxiety.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch told the justices that age verification could help protect young people from “sexual abuse, trafficking, physical violence, sextortion and more,” activities that Fitch noted are not protected by the First Amendment.

NetChoice represents some of the country’s most high-profile technology companies, including Google, which owns YouTube; Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat; and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. NetChoice has filed similar lawsuits in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Utah.

Paul Taske, co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, called the decision “an unfortunate procedural delay.”

“Although we’re disappointed with the Court’s decision, Justice Kavanaugh’s concurrence makes clear that NetChoice will ultimately succeed in defending the First Amendment — not just in this case but across all NetChoice’s ID-for-Speech lawsuits,” he said.

(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Anyone who’s interested in exercise should consider getting a fitness tracker, as they’re able to tell you a lot about the effort you’re expending, how well you’re recovering, and every biometric marker in between. Whether you’re a beginner jogger or a Hyrox athlete, the information from one of the best fitness trackers or best smartwatches can elevate your active lifestyle to the next level.

However, there are a few barriers to entry at the moment. For one, the market is so saturated that it’s tough to know what to get, especially for people who don’t know their Fitbit Versas from their Garmin Vivoactives.

ESPN in August of last year tried to prove its utility to all fans by unveiling a “Where to Watch” search feature in its mobile app and website that would do something every sports aficionado has craved since Amazon nabbed rights to stream portions of the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” in 2017: help die-hards increasingly frustrated in their efforts to find their favorite teams as sports began to stream across new broadband giants, league-owned outlets and regional venues.

Lydia Murphy-Stephans believes she did this first — and thinks Disney couldn’t have done it without her.

In a suit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, Murphy-Stephans, an entrepreneur who was once a programming executive for ABC Sports and president of a now-shuttered TV network devoted to Pac-12 Conference schools, alleges ESPN and Disney spurred her to reveal the inner workings of a sports-search product she had created at her own company, SportsBubble, then launched its own version of the product. Murphy-Stephans is seeking a jury trial, as well as damages that could total more than $600 million.

In the suit, she alleges that in 2021, ESPN “feigned interest in a partnership with SportsBubble (and signed a nondisclosure agreement) to induce SportsBubble to share its confidential trade and business secrets with ESPN,” but instead “misappropriated SportsBubble’s confidential information to develop a copycat product after stringing SportsBubble along for months in fruitless ‘negotiations,’ sidelining it from other lucrative partnerships.”

ESPN declined to comment.

“When I introduced SportsBubble to Bob Iger and ESPN executives years ago, they claimed to be excited about working with us and partnering on our flagship product, WatchSports. But, while under NDA to evaluate WatchSports for a business partnership, they publicly announced a copycat product as if we magically didn’t exist,” says Murphy-Stephans. “We firmly believe the ‘Where To Watch’ programming guide on the ESPN platforms is the same product SportsBubble presented to ESPN, and that they copied it, and put their own name on it.”

The legal imbroglio spotlights the growing importance of tracking sports as rights deals become increasingly spread out among different venues. With sports standing as the only TV format that seems able to continue the large, simultaneous audiences that advertisers and distributors crave, the fees to keep them on air have gone from eye-popping to exorbitant. With prices so high, media companies are narrowing their packages, leaving some big leagues like the NBA spread across more networks and streamers. Add a shifting landscape for local rights into the mix and it’s little wonder sports fans are often stymied in their efforts to quickly find the right game at the right time.

Stephans-Murphy thought she had come up with just the solution. While watching an NBA Finals game in 2018, she left her living room to get the snacks ready in the kitchen – and set about a task that she felt should have been a lot simpler: trying to stream the match on her iPad. Instead, she spent precious minutes trying to navigate authenticating into Comcast and then getting back into ESPN.

She launched the WatchSports app in 2021, after working on it for four years. The service — a live sports guide for the streaming era — helped consumers find their game and navigate the various outlets required in order to see it. She got paid by referral fees paid when consumers took out a subscription to watch a match.

ESPN was interested, she alleged. By February of 2022, ESPN and SportsBubble had struck a deal in principle that would list approximately 40,000 sporting events from the ESPN+ streaming service in WatchSports, and allow the app’s users to connect directly to ESPN’s platforms. During these negotiations, Stephans-Murphy alleges, ESPN requested confidential technical information about how the WatchSports app actually functioned. SportsBubble said it would do so under a non-disclosure agreeement.

In 2023, ESPN announced its intent to launch its own search product. And the Disney sports giant informed SportsBubble it no longer had any interest in any strategic partnership, nor had it been interested in one since conversations commenced in 2021.

“ESPN not only stole SportsBubble’s business model and product, but it also stymied SportsBubble’s growth by stringing SportsBubble along for months with false promises of a partnership, resource-intensive talks, and manufactured delays in the consummation of that partnership,” the company alleges in its lawsuit. “While SportsBubble focused on its prospective partnership with ESPN, it put
partnership discussions with the other major sports networks and event stakeholders on hold,
losing valuable time it could have spent capturing more of the market through other
opportunities.”

ESPN’s search technology could go much further in weeks to come. The company is about to launch a new stand-alone streaming app that gives subscribers all the content from its many cable networks, and, soon, it could offer the feeds from NFL Network as well as the NFL’s RedZone highlights service. In October, ESPN intends to offer a bundled service with Fox One, a streaming service from Fox Corp. that offers all of that company’s content in a single venue.

During a recent call with investors, Disney CEO Bob Iger talked up a potential search service for sports fans as quite the game changer. “”As a devoted sports fan, I often have to work to try to find what platform sports are on,” he said. “If we can help consumers in that regard, we’re certainly going to try.”