Houston-based Mainline has announced new partnerships with a few universities. Jamie McInall/Pexels

A Houston esports platform has announced that four universities — including one in town — have made moves to optimize the company's technology.

Texas A&M University, the University of Texas - Austin, Louisiana State University, and Houston's own University of St. Thomas have made a deal with Mainline. The company, which just closed a $9.8 million series A round, is a software and management platform for esports tournaments.

The four schools will use the software to host and grow their on-campus esports communities, according to a news release.

"These are top universities seeing the value of esports on-campus and making a choice to support their students' desires to play and compete — much like in traditional sports," says Chris Buckner, CEO at Mainline, in the release. "Adoption of Mainline is validation of the opportunity to engage students and the broader community with a compelling esports platform, as well as strengthen a school's brand, provide additional partnership opportunities and market their initiatives"

While UST has is still in the process of utilizing Mainline for its esports platform to grow its program and will use the software for its first tournament in 2020, A&M first used Mainline's software this past spring, but has doubled down on its commitment to esports.

"Texas A&M recognizes the significant esports presence on campus and the importance of supporting this thriving student community. Mainline allows us to maintain the brand continuity of the university, and to drive incremental inventory and value for sponsors," says Mike Wright, director of public relations and strategic communications at Texas A&M Athletics, in the release.

The platform provides its clients with an easy way to manage, monetize, and market their tournaments.

At UT, the school's administration, along with its Longhorn Gaming Club, is currently running two tournaments on Mainline: Rocket League and League of Legends.

"Texas has had a long established esports community on campus, and our partnership with Mainline will enable us to more closely work with Longhorn Gaming to better support this audience to benefit our students and partners," says Mike Buttersworth, director of the Center for Sports Communication and Media at UT, in the release.

Meanwhile at LSU, the university is running an esports Rocket League qualifying tournament on the Houston company's platform to select a three-student team to represent the school at the inaugural "Power Five Esports Invitational" in New York in January, according to the release.

"This kind of tournament is a first for our campus, and Mainline is making it easy for us to be able to host this qualifying tournament for our students to ultimately represent our university at the Power Five Esports invitational," says Robert Munson, senior associate athletics director at LSU.

As for Mainline, these four schools are just the beginning for universities using the platform.

"Mainline is continuing this collegiate momentum with another 10 powerhouse universities expected to come aboard our platform by the end of 2019, and 50 more by the spring 2020," says Buckner.

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Autonomous cab company launches Houston pilot program for wheelchair-accessible rides

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A California company with autonomous cabs has announced a new pilot program in partnership with a provider of wheelchairs and mobility solutions.

Cruise has teamed up with Numotion for a six-month wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) pilot program in Houston, offering free transportation for qualifying Numotion customers, according to the companies. The program will operate in over 90 Houston-area ZIP codes.

“Numotion is excited to partner with Cruise to offer a seamless and convenient solution for wheelchair users in the Houston area. By providing transportation to and from repair appointments, we're alleviating a significant stressor and providing a way for our customers to receive their service and repair faster,” says Mike Swinford, CEO of Numotion, in a news release. “We're constantly striving to innovate and improve the lives of our customers, and this collaboration demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing beneficial customer experiences."

Cruise entered the Texas market last year, with Houston services launching in October 2023 before the company put all operations on pause following a California crash. This is the first Texas announcement for Cruise since the pause.

"Accessibility is core to our mission at Cruise. This pilot program with Numotion is doing more than providing accessible rides – it’s about empowering people in the community with greater mobility and independence, while also building learnings to better our service in the future," says Craig Glidden, president and chief administrative officer at Cruise about the new pilot.

Looking back: Top 5 most-read Houston sports tech stories of 2024

year in review

Editor's note: As the year comes to a close, InnovationMap is looking back at the year's top stories in Houston innovation. Houston is a city primed for sports tech innovation — with its collection of major sports teams, vibrant population, and tech workforce. Here are five sports tech news stories that stood out to readers this year — be sure to click through to read the full story.

10 sports tech startups named to Houston-based hybrid accelerator

Introducing the 10 startups participating in the Spring 2024 cohort of the DivInc Sports Tech Accelerator, a hybrid program based in the Ion. Photo via DivInc.com

DivInc has named its latest sports tech-focused cohort of its hybrid accelerator that is housed out of the Ion.

The Sports Tech Accelerator has selected the 10 companies — with technology across human performance, fan experience, and more — for its 13th cohort to participate in the 12-week hybrid program this month and through July.

The program receives support from underdog venture team, Women In Sports Tech, The Collectiv, and HTX Sports Tech, with partners Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Gunderson Dettmer, Brown Advisory, Ion, and Mercury. Continue reading.

High-tech virtual racing experience to rev up in Houston

Houston is getting 16 racing simulators, each equipped with full motion systems and immersive, 180-degree panoramic displays. Photo by Dylan McEwan

Come next year, some high-speed and high-tech race simulators will be added to one of Houston's growing districts.

Velocity - Sim Racing Lounge, described in press materials as Houston’s first premium simulation racing experience, is slated to open in early 2025 at 2110 Edwards St.Velocity will bring sim racing to Houston through 16 racing simulators, each equipped with full motion systems and immersive, 180-degree panoramic displays. The goal is provide customers with a truly authentic, virtual driving experience.

Customers will have the ability to virtually drive sports cars from iconic brands like Porsche and Lamborghini and race on world famous tracks, including the Circuit of the Americas, Laguna Seca, and the Silverstone Circuit. Classic roads, such as California’s Pacific Coast Highway, provide a more leisurely alternative to driving flat out. Continue reading.

Rice University announces partnership with Houston sports tech startup to enhance student athletics

Rice University's athletic programs will be supported by Houston startup BeOne Sports' technology. Photo courtesy of Rice University

Rice University — in an effort to enhance athletics and research-driven innovation — has formed a partnership with a startup founded by its alumni.

BeOne Sports, a sports performance technology company developed a platform for mobile motion-capture AI and advanced data analytics, will integrate its technology within Rice's sports medicine and rehabilitation programs.

“This partnership aligns perfectly with Rice University’s mission to harness innovation for the betterment of our community,” Rice President Reginald DesRoches says in a news release. “By integrating cutting-edge technology from BeOne Sports with our already world-class athletic and academic programs, we are providing our student athletes with the tools they need to excel both on the field and in life. This collaboration is a testament to Rice’s commitment to leading through innovation and offering unparalleled opportunities for our students.” Continue reading.

Diversity-focused sports tech accelerator opens applications to Houston innovators for the first time

Calling all sports tech startups founded by Black or Hispanic innovators. Photo via Getty Images

A global organization has announced it's opening applications to its equity-focused sports tech accelerator to Houston founders for the first time.

Thanks to a collaboration with Impact Hub and Black Ambition, the adidas Community Lab has expanded its footprint and is now accepting applicants from new markets, including Houston, Toronto, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York, for its 2024-2025 cohort.

The initiative, which has been running for three years, has a goal of supporting Black and Latino/a/e founders with mentorship, pitch training, event programming, and networking. The eight-month program also has $75,000 in grant funding to dole out to participants as well. Continue reading.

Houston sports tech startup aims to optimize unsold resale ticket market with new platform

Looking to score the best deal on your next game ticket? A new Houston-founded app promises to revolutionize the resale market. Photo via Getty Images

Online platforms have long simplified the process of buying, selling, and trading event tickets. But what happens when your tickets don’t sell or when you’re stuck with costly season tickets you can’t use? You might end up giving them away or leaving them unused, leading to a financial loss either way.

This is the challenge that Houstonian Jerin Varkey is willing to address with Offer Approved, a new platform that empowers sellers and buyers, guaranteeing that no seat goes unused.

The idea took root around two years ago when Varkey, a passionate sports fan and season ticket holder, faced a new challenge. After becoming a parent, he found himself unable to attend every game. Frustrated with traditional resale platforms, he quickly realized that high fees and limited time made it difficult to sell all his tickets, causing him to lose money each time. Continue reading.