Iowa-based startup company wins award at the 'Super Bowl of Sports Analytics'

DES MOINES, Iowa, March 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Impakt Athletics, an early-stage sports technology startup and a client of Square One DSM, is a winner of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (SSAC) 2017 Startup Competition & Trade Show. Impakt beat out a record number of applicants to claim the top spot in the Seed-Stage Track, winning $5,000 to help it grow its business. The Startup Competition & Trade Show provides an opportunity for selected startups and small companies to showcase their innovations in the fields of sports-related devices and services. The conference has been called the "Super Bowl of Sports Analytics."

Impakt Athletics was co-founded by Zac McQuistan and Jason Brescia. McQuistan, an Iowa native now based in the Seattle area, has chosen to incorporate the company in Iowa. Impakt makes data usable for football programs. Today, NFL and college football coaches are flooded with too much information – which makes it difficult for them to do their jobs effectively. Impakt solves that problem by delivering football's first digital assistant, which organizes, analyzes and delivers actionable information precisely at the moment a coach is making a decision. By surfacing insights that aid in decision-making, football programs save time and make more effective decisions. Impakt has already met with over 30 NFL and Division I football teams.

"The Sloan Sports Analytics Conference is undoubtedly the premier sports analytics conference in the world. The opportunity to compete was humbling in itself, but winning the competition is a huge step for Impakt," said McQuistan. "Prior to Sloan, we've had an incredible response from top football programs, but this win exposes us to a much broader audience. It has already opened a lot of doors for us."

The SSAC is the world's largest sports analytics conference with over 170 different schools and over 80 professional sports teams in the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, and Premier League attending. ESPN has actively sponsored the conference since 2010, and the conference has garnered national attention through media outlets such as Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Time, BusinessWeek, NBC Sports, Fox Sports and Forbes.

"It is a prestigious accomplishment to have the opportunity to present at this conference, and it is even more special for Impakt Athletics to come out as a winner," said Mike Colwell, Executive Director of Entrepreneurial Initiatives at the Greater Des Moines Partnership. "With this accomplishment, Impakt Athletics is representing Central Iowa on a national scale as a startup company with cutting-edge technology."

Learn more about Impakt Athletics here, and learn more about the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Startup Competition and Trade Show here.  

About Square One DSM
Square One DSM's mission is to connect entrepreneurial needs with qualified community and state resources and to provide guided professional and business direction. Square One DSM helps entrepreneurs maximize their successes by helping them navigate resources, strengthen knowledge, improve skills, form strategic alliances and secure proper capitalization. Learn more at SquareOneDSM.com.

About the Greater Des Moines Partnership
The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the economic and community development organization serving Central Iowa for more than 125 years. Together with 23 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce and more than 6,000 business members, The Partnership drives economic growth and careers through innovation, strategic planning and global collaboration. We foster an environment where residents are empowered to live their passions and shape our community, making Greater Des Moines the best place in the world to build a business and life. For more information, visit DesMoinesMetro.com.

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SOURCE Greater Des Moines Partnership