BURNLEY FC INNOVATION HUB
Burnley FC Innovation Hub pairs promising sports tech with real club needs through hands-on pilots. Through the Hub, Burnley FC serves as a testbed for start-ups to validate their products, generate traction, and build towards potential partnerships - all within a live professional football environment.
Who we are
BURNLEY FOOTBALL CLUB
Burnley FC is a football club from the town of Burnley in East Lancashire. Founded in 1882 and turning professional in 1883, the club enjoys a rich history, crowned champions of England on two occasions in 1920/21 and 1959/60, and FA Cup victories.
Burnley FC currently competes in the EFL Championship league with professional men’s and women’s teams, a strong academy, and a culture of smart risk-taking. Here at Turf Moor, we’re building the future of football.
ALK CAPITAL
STEWARD AND INVESTOR OF BURNLEY FOOTBALL CLUB
ALK Capital is a team of professionals with decades of experience in senior operating roles, specialising in the acquisition and operation of modern sports, media, entertainment, and related technology businesses. In 2020, ALK Capital completed its investment in Burnley F.C. through its sports investment arm, Velocity Sports Partners (VSP). Since then, the platform has expanded with the acquisition of RCD Espanyol, establishing ALK Capital as the owner and operator of two historic European football clubs.
As the first and flagship club within the platform, Burnley FC remains the cornerstone of the local community and the blueprint for ALK Capital's broader vision: building an integrated sports platform that leverages shared expertise, innovation, and operational excellence to create long-term value across its portfolio.
ALAN PACE
OWNER & CHAIRMAN
Alan Pace has 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and over a decade of sports management experience. A dual British American national, he was formally a Managing Director and Global Head of Sales for Securities Services at Citi, responsible for overseeing a multibillion dollar division. Alan is a former partner at SCP Worldwide LLC – owner of sports, entertainment and media properties – and a previous CEO of Major League Soccer franchise Real Salt Lake, where he oversaw the transformation of a consistently last-place team to winning the 2009 MLS Cup.
Alan left Citi to start ALK Capital in 2019 and became Chairman of Burnley Football Club after acquiring the Club in 2020. Deeply involved in day-to-day operations and management, Alan serves as a champion for innovation from the inside."Innovation is at the forefront of what we do at Burnley FC. We're a forever forward-thinking Club with a passion for unlocking opportunities and driving growth."
— Alan Pace, Chairman
How it works
We will select 2-3 start-ups to participate in a 6-month pilot programme. No upfront investment, just action, insight, and traction.
Application
MID AUG – EARLY OCT
Start-ups will be sourced through a mixture of targeted outreach, open applications and referrals.
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Pitch Day
NOV 2026
Selected applicants will be invited to pitch their solutions to a panel from ALK Capital and Burnley FC, with 2–3 start-ups chosen to join the programme.
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Pilot Testing
DEC 2026 – MAY 2027
Pilots will run within club operations, giving start-ups access to our elite athletes, staff, and world-class training facilities, along with direct feedback to test, refine, and validate their product in a live football environment.
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Review
JUNE 2027
After the pilot programme, we’ll hold a review session with you and ALK Capital/Burnley FC executives to discuss next steps, including potential partnerships.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We’re seeking early-stage companies with applied solutions in the following areas. Start-ups should have a working product, a clear use case, and a readiness to test in a live club environment.
AI For Club Growth
Commercial Operations
Media & Content
Marketing & Fan Communications
Business Intelligence & Decision Support
Sustainable Club Operations
Energy & Utilities
Stadium & Facility Operations
Waste & Environmental Solutions
Operational Efficiency & Cost Reduction
Women’s Health & Performance
Health Monitoring & Wearables
Women's Health Solutions
Performance Equipment & Training Gear
Recovery & Wellbeing
Other
Retail & Supporter Commerce
E-commerce
Merchandising & Inventory
Payments & Checkout
Personalization & Loyalty
Matchday Retail Experience
BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Unique opportunities you won't get anywhere else
Direct Line to Leadership
Direct access to Chairman Alan Pace and select Board members
Ownership with backgrounds in tech, finance, and US sports
Aligned from day one as leadership is directly involved in selecting partnering start-ups
Network Beyond Burnley FC
Investor group includes global sport and media leaders (e.g., JJ Watt, Dude Perfect)
Opportunities for introductions to other clubs, like RCD Espanyol, and strategic partners.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU
Real validation. Real visibility. Real access
Testing and Validation
Test your product in a live professional football environment and get direct feedback from athletes, coaches, and staff to refine and accelerate product-market fit.
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Visibility and Credibility
Gain brand credibility through the club, build proof points, and boost visibility with future customers and investors.
Strategic Access
Connect with decision-makers at Burnley FC, ALK Capital to unlock partnerships, investment opportunities, and growth across sport tech.
PROVEN PILOTING TRACK RECORD
How we support start-ups to succeed
In 2020, ALK Capital made a strategic investment in Ai Scout. The
scouting platform is currently applied in Burnley FC's live recruitment cycles
for talent identification and assessment
Read More
Read More
MUD Analytics is a decision-support platform that combines deep football expertise with financial modelling and data-driven insight to help clubs make faster, smarter, and more aligned decisions. At Burnley FC, it is integrated into player recruitment and squad planning, guiding transfer strategy and ensuring decisions align with our long-term sporting and financial objectives.
In 2024, ALK Capital made a minority investment in Rezzil, a sports
technology firm focusing on extended reality (XR) for high-performance training and immersive fan experiences.
Ahead of our 2025/26 season, Rezzil delivered a first-of-its-kind, immersive virtual reality broadcast of Burnley FC’s pre-season friendly fixture against Lazio, offering supporters around the world a chance to experience Turf Moor in VR.
Programme Alumni
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Piing creates interactive crowd games that transform breaks in play into high-energy fan experiences. By connecting supporters' mobile devices directly to stadium big screens, their platform enables thousands of fans to participate in real time while helping clubs create more engaging matchday experiences and capture valuable first-party engagement data.
"Having our technology deployed across Burnley FC men's and women's matchdays gave us the opportunity to put our platform to the test on a major stage."
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Mantis XR is a Vancouver-based fan engagement platform that helps sports organizations unify fan relationships that are often fragmented across third-party systems. Through immersive spatial experiences and a connected digital identity, clubs can better understand supporter interactions across ticketing, merchandise, hospitality, and fan engagement. This gives clubs a more complete picture of the fan journey and stronger, data-driven relationships that extend beyond matchday.
"The Burnley FC Innovation Hub was the complete opposite of every other innovation programme I'd experienced. The process was transparent, collaborative, and genuinely focused on creating value for both sides."
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