One of the highlights of July’s record-setting iGB L!VE centered on the Pulse Theatre, where the first edition of the iGB L!VE LaunchPad competition played out. As part of the initiative, five start-up businesses, shortlisted by the iGB L!VE organizing team, showcased their ideas to a panel of industry entrepreneurs.
Filip Koubek, co-founder of the winning entry from Match Hype, explains what winning LaunchPad means to the business, expands on some of the difficulties facing new businesses in the iGaming space, and why he finds fellow Czech citizen and founder of Livesport/Flashscore Martin Hájek so inspirational.
Can you start by explaining a little bit about Match Hype and what makes it special?
At Match Hype, we develop innovative technology that transforms raw sports data into engaging videos at scale. Video content is rapidly growing in popularity; TikTok users, for instance, spend an average 52 minutes per day watching videos, while sports videos on Instagram receive 23% more engagement compared to any other content. However, most sportsbooks still don’t utilize video, primarily because it’s extremely expensive and practically impossible – until now.
With Match Hype, we can cover any sport, any league, and any game, creating thousands of videos daily. We support over 30 languages and focus primarily on sports like football, basketball, tennis, American Football or horse racing. Our platform provides comprehensive coverage, including pre-game previews, halftime updates, post-game summaries, and more. On average, 70% of people watch our videos until the end, and we are boosting engagement and login frequencies.
The Match Hype core team brings over 10 years of experience in video production and dynamic video solutions created for sectors such as banking, insurance, and e-commerce. Now, we’re bringing our expertise to the iGaming space, where it looks like we’ve found the perfect market fit.
What feedback have you received following your win and from which quarters?
I have never received so many notifications on my LinkedIn as I did after Match Hype won the iGB L!VE LaunchPad competition! I received numerous positive words from investors, potential clients, and even current clients. I frequently heard that what Match Hype does is truly needed in the industry. There are so many sports, leagues, tournaments, and games, and it’s impossible to cover them all with exciting content – until now.
The prestige of being a winner is obviously very important – but how would you describe the practical benefits?
As rookies in the industry, any validation of our product from such authorities is invaluable. Winning an industry-only competition with competitors from all over the world at such a massive event is really special, and people see that. Industry VCs reaching out to us is definitely a huge benefit.
How difficult is it for brands in the sector to get funding from mainstream financial institutions – what’s your experience been?
We are very new members of this exciting industry, but what we have learned so far is that traditional institutions like banks or general venture capital firms don’t understand the industry and some even have misleading prejudices. There are exceptions that are able to listen, but that’s not very common.
Did you have a feeling that you would win and if so at what stage of the competition?
Not at all! I really thought that the amazing achievement was already being in the top 5, so even after the announcement, I couldn’t believe it.
How did you celebrate your success?
I had a small beer at the airport! And then a few more with my team when I got back home.
At any time in the life of the business did you ever feel like giving it up and getting a ‘normal’ job?
I’ve been an entrepreneur for more than 10 years. I dare say I’ve experienced a few crises. These moments happen from time to time, but the moments that make up for them are fortunately more frequent and stronger. I really believe in entrepreneurship, in independence, and that hard work pays off. It’s who I am, and I hope I will never give up. My co-founder and long-time business partner Radek has very similar views.
Do you see yourself as a creative or as an entrepreneur?
I believe that creativity is a huge part of entrepreneurship. Every company is different, and every day brings new challenges. We have never found a playbook that would tell us how to handle them. So we must be creative.
Which entrepreneurs do you most admire and why?
There are too many of them! But as a part of the iGaming industry and a Czech citizen, I must mention the founder of Livesport/Flashscore, Martin Hájek, who built this huge affiliate with more than 100M euros in revenue and more than 100 million monthly users from scratch. It’s truly one of the greatest business success stories from my country.
Where do you get your inspiration from – e.g., podcasts, blogs, books, magazines, exhibitions, creative spaces/environments?
It’s hard for me to summarize so many sources, but I currently really enjoy a podcast called Acquired about the success stories of the world’s well-known businesses. Every episode is around 3-hours long, and it’s really a deep dive and business masterclass. As a marketing enthusiast, another favourite podcast of mine is Uncensored CMO with Jon Evans, and I also admire professor Mark Ritson and his lectures.
I’m currently reading a book called Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore about scaling B2B software businesses, and in my free time, I like to enjoy lighter business reads like the Czech version of Forbes run by the amazing editor-in-chief Zdravko Krstanov. But I think the most inspiration I get is from industry events like iGB, which I try to attend as much as possible.
What do the next six months look like, and where do you want to be by the time iGB L!VE takes up residence at ExCeL London in July 2025?
We will close a seed round investment (we are currently accepting investment offers) with a strong industry partner, start to scale Match Hype rapidly, adding new scenarios, sports and clients. And I hope I will be handing over the trophy to the next iGB Launchpad winner in London!
