leAD Lake Nona Partners with Orlando Magic to Make Orlando a Sports Tech and Innovation Hub
leAD Lake Nona (leAD/LN), a joint venture between leAD Sports & Health Tech Partners and Tavistock Development Company, has announced a multi-year partnership with the Orlando Magic organization to promote innovation in the sports and health technology industries in the Orlando metro area.
As part of the partnership, leAD/LN’s Lake Nona innovation hub has been designated as the “Home of Magic Gaming.” The Orlando Magic organization and Magic Gaming — the organization’s eSports arm — will become innovation partners for the firm. leAD/LN will also provide industry intelligence and act as a venture arm to support the Magic’s innovation initiatives.
The partnership aims to create a global technology hub in Orlando by leveraging leAD/LN’s expertise in sports and health technology innovation. Orlando Magic will utilize leAD/LN’s knowledge base and portfolio of companies to develop methods to directly impact fan engagement and athlete performance. leAD/LN also plans to use the partnership as a testing ground for real-time feedback, driving new opportunities for innovation in Orlando.
Lake Nona’s “living lab” environment has attracted visionary companies and startups from across the globe. leAD/LN sources and funds the growth of early-stage sports and health tech startups globally, attracting high-caliber investors, partners, and mentors with a wide range of expertise in sports and health.
This partnership is a natural fit between two organizations that value innovation and new use cases for technology. In 2014, the Orlando Magic organization opened the first design thinking-based innovation lab in the NBA, and in 2015, the team became the first in the NBA to adopt cutting-edge mobile technology that allowed fans to personalize their experience at Amway Center, the Magic’s home arena.
leAD/LN’s focus on innovation in the health and sports technology space will enable the Magic to experience the latest technological developments and accelerate Orlando’s status as a tech hub. The Magic organization will also serve as a testing ground for leAD/LN’s startup companies to test, learn, iterate and scale their products and services, providing real-time feedback that will drive new opportunities for innovation in Orlando.
“Innovation is one of our core values at the [Orlando] Magic,’ said Magic Executive Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, Jay Riola. “[We believe] in the power of collaboration and creative thinking. With leAD’s unparalleled expertise in sports and health tech innovation, this partnership will provide our organization and fans the ability to experience the latest developments in the tech space and will also offer our organization an even greater ability to propel innovation and emerging startups in Orlando.”
The partnership will also enable professional eSports athletes to live, train and compete as part of Lake Nona’s “living lab” environment, adding to the thriving sports and technology ecosystem in the area. The Orlando Magic will continue to place an emphasis on using analytics to better the game on the court and the organization as a whole.
Both organizations lead in their respective areas of expertise, and this partnership will only serve to enhance their reach and impact.
