Our jurors
They have all been in precisely the same situation: a panel observed their product, their brand and decided that they receive the unique opportunity to present themselves at ISPO Munich as one of the best start-ups of the sports business. Now they had the same task. Almost all the ISPO Brandnew jury members were founding members of former ISPO Brandnew winners and finalists. From their own experiences, they know precisely what is of importance. In addition, further sports professionals add their expertise to generate the best selection of the emerging start-ups in the ISPO Brandnew competition.
Managing Director | Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Germany & Austria
Paul Schif is Managing Director of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Germany & Austria. The non-profit foundation acts as a social investor and supports non-profit sports organizations in their development with the aim of helping young people worldwide to develop a perspective and realize their potential through sport. Previously, Paul Schif worked for an international consulting firm for several years and built a company in South Africa that helps reduce social inequality.
Matti Heilmann is Business Development Manager at Globetrotter and brings extensive experience in the fields of sports and outdoor activities to his role. This passion has been a constant throughout his career and forms the basis of his work on innovative projects. In the dynamic sports and outdoor ecosystem, Matti uses his knowledge to identify potential and promote new business ideas—particularly through his involvement with start-ups at Globetrotter. Here, he helps international start-ups grow sustainably and bring new innovations to market. Another important aspect of his commitment is his role as a jury member for the ISPO Brandnew Awards, where he creates exciting synergies between start-ups and established players in the industry.
Founder & CEO | Doubledeck Snowboards
Andreas Kramer is a visionary entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the sports industry. At the age of 18, he founded his first company and, from 1993 to 2011, built Europe's largest skateboard factory, producing over 250,000 skateboards per year. He also developed snowskates for brands such as Burton and founded Decept Snowskates. In addition to skate and snowskate production, Kramer managed the European distribution of snowboard brands such as Sims Snowboards. Today, he runs Alpine Sports Group, an investment and holding company with a diverse portfolio in sports. Since 2022, he has held a majority stake in Doubledeck Snowboards and manages overstock solutions with large logistics centers in Germany. Kramer's passion for innovation and his in-depth expertise continue to drive his success.
Christoph Landsgesell has been editor-in-chief of the first German-language edition of Sports Illustrated since 2021. Born in Kaufbeuren in 1984, he completed his studies in Augsburg before starting a traineeship at the Abendzeitung in Munich in 2008. After his time as a freelancer, he joined the Abendzeitung as an editor in 2011 and later took over the position of Head of Sports. In 2019, he moved to GQ, where he worked as head of copywriting and lead editor. With his many years of journalistic experience, he now brings a breath of fresh air to the German-language Sports Illustrated. Christoph is married and has two children.
YKK | Senior Marketing Executive
Lynn Whittingham is Senior Marketing Executive at YKK Europe and works in the company's Business Strategy Group in Cheshire, UK. She has been with YKK for over 10 years and has maintained a close relationship with ISPO and its team for over 8 years. YKK joined the ISPO Brandnew Village in 2007 and has been one of its main sponsors ever since. Since 2015, YKK has been the official main sponsor of ISPO Brandnew. This partnership allows YKK to collaborate with emerging start-ups in the sports industry and showcase innovative products to a relevant audience. Participating in ISPO gives YKK the opportunity to stay close to the market and current trends while developing a better understanding of the industry's requirements.
Entrepreneurship Lead and Investor | EIT Health
Jiskia Reis is a recognized expert in digital health, entrepreneurship and business creation across Europe. As Entrepreneurship Lead & Investor at EIT Health, she supports innovative start-ups in the medtech, biotech and digital health sectors and guides them on their path to growth in Europe. With her extensive experience in building entrepreneurship programs, connecting founders to investors and developing market access, she bridges the gap between the healthcare, innovation and sports ecosystems. The world of sports technology is also close to her heart - as a hybrid athlete competing in various fitness disciplines such as Hyrox, she knows from her own experience how important prevention, performance and well-being are.
Founder | iGaming Ideas
David is a hands-on investor, advisor and consultant in the sports technology scene. With a background in sports betting, he has worked across North America with world-renowned brands such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Diamondbacks, Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers, NASCAR, MLB, Big Ten, PGA Tour, CBS Sports, Madison Square Gardens, Meadowlands Race Track and the Football Hall of Fame Village.
As an investor, David is involved in more than 15 sports technology companies around the world. With his company iGaming Ideas, David has had a successful exit every year. Recent major successes include the successful sale of marketing automation platform Fresh Eight and AI and data platform VAIX, both acquired by Sportradar, and the acquisition of data platform Angstrom Sports by Entain.
David is now launching the spin-off company Sporteva, an investment vehicle that focuses on start-ups that deal exclusively with women's sport.
Start-up Scout | Telekom
Dilara Hanke is a Startup Scout at Deutsche Telekom's TechBoost program, a startup program that supports young tech companies with cloud services, network access and sales channels to accelerate their growth. In her role, she tracks down innovative startups and brings them together with business customers to create real added value and drive digitalization in Germany. Away from the startup world, she lives her passion for sport - whether HIIT, martial arts, yoga or Pilates - and is constantly inspired by it to overcome her own limits and dare to try something new.
Director | Global Sports Innovation Center
Juan Fuentes is the head of the Global Sports Innovation Testing Lab in Valencia, recently founded by GSIC Powered by Microsoft. Previously, he spent nine years as Head of International Expansion for LALIGA, driving growth in the MENA region and Northern Europe from Cairo and Copenhagen. Juan is known for his expertise in sports technology consolidation, international development and cross-border investment.
In addition to his leadership roles, Juan is a cross-border investor and mentor in sports technology and advises VC funds and players in the startup ecosystem in Norway and Denmark. He is co-chair of EBAN Sports, the sports investment committee of the European Business Angel Network, and has been included in the Nova 111 list for talents from the telecommunications, media and entertainment sectors in Spain.
General Partner | neoteq ventures
Simon Schneider is General Partner at neoteq ventures, an early-stage VC based in Cologne. Simon has been active in the start-up environment for 20 years and has been able to accompany many exciting companies as an investor. Together with B.J. Park, he founded neoteq ventures in 2020 to support early-stage start-ups in particular with capital and a network.
Founder | Athlete Ventures
Marion Reichel is a leading expert in business development and innovation who combines her passion for sports, technology and sustainable ideas. With her experience in founding the Bundesliga's first SportTech accelerator, strategic innovation management and as a certified business angel, she is committed to long-term transformation through innovative concepts. As the founder of Athlete Ventures, she connects athletes, investors and the sports ecosystem to drive future-oriented sports innovations. Together with Gateway Ventures, she is creating a digital platform that pools expertise, connects investors and simplifies processes - always with the aim of shaping sport and its social impact in a sustainable way. Her philosophy: "We drive the technology, not it drives us!
Playerstech
Christian Mees is an entrepreneur, business enabler and co-founder of the Venture League. He has a curated network of over 350 investors. Since 1995, he has built and scaled several companies with a focus on brand development, process optimization and production. At BORN Accelerators, he combines operational experience with investor expertise - hands-on, strategic and growth-oriented.
Playerstech
Reiner Gerstner is a brand architect and business strategist with over 25 years of experience in the international sports, outdoor and tech environment. As a former brand and marketing manager at SALEWA, Dynafit, Schöffel and the TQ Group, he has successfully transformed and scaled companies. With BORN Accelerators, he supports founders and brands as a mentor and investor with a focus on strategy, positioning and impact.
