Sixers Innovation Lab likes the look of Monster Roster
The Sixers Innovation Lab, a start-up accelerator operated under the wing of NBA franchise the Philadelphia 76ers, is currently mulling a batch of 60 applicants for assistance but has been particularly taken with a daily fantasy sports line-up recommender titled Monster Roster, reports the publication Philly.com.
SIL managing director Seth Berger said he had been particularly drawn to the venture, which has already produced impressive results despite a lack of marketing and PR activity.
Describing the project, founded by Georgetown U student Dylan Elder during a break from his studies, Berger said: "It enables the casual sports fan to spend a minute or 30 minutes picking a fantasy player line-up that will perform as well as those from people who spend 40 to 60 hours at the mission."
The service is targeted on the "hundreds of thousands of players" who make weekly investments in play-off pools at hosting sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, to which MR links.
After two months in Beta-test mode the start-up has already attracted 5,000 monthly subscribers, and will benefit and prosper from SIL professional support. This will be provided by a 76ers affiliate called 1776.
Berger claims that DFS is a game of skill and knowledge, and a casual participant's odds of picking the best performing fantasy squad are considerably improved by Monster Roster's "patented algorithm and line-up recommendation tools."While the rules of the game say the top performing half of all line-up submissions will win in the "50-50" entry category, "75 percent of our line-ups are cashing in," he said.
Berger says that only 25 percent of SIL applicants are in the sports space, and that the start-up accelerator takes a wide view.
"Any smart, consumer-facing business we can help – with financing, branding and marketing to improve their visibility – we're interested in," he said.
The SIL facility is supported by partners ranging from furniture manufacturers, law firms and a university to a DFS operator, financiers and marketing organisations.
It will soon move to occupy part of the new 76ers Training Complex, and is to hire a team of project managers, with entrepreneurial and venture capital experience, who will be dedicated to supporting resident start-ups.
The professional team at SIL provides a range of professional advice and counsel to start-ups – and on occasion funding – in addition to catering and accommodation for "incubator residents" in the Philadelphia area.
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