PureSENT partners with The Players Fund to advance football innovation in Middle East

PureSENT partners with The Players Fund to advance football innovation in Middle East

PureSENT, the joint venture launched in October 2025 by Saudi sports consultancy Pure Sports and SENT (owner of Italian club Como 1907), has signed a strategic partnership with athlete-led venture capital firm The Players Fund to accelerate innovation and unlock commercial opportunities across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East. The agreement will introduce corporate venture programmes for football clubs and rights holders, provide access to high-potential Seed and Series A startups, and create pathways for strategic investment across the region’s football ecosystem.

“Building on The Players Fund’s successful collaboration with Como 1907 and Como Ventures, this partnership brings a proven European venture model to one of the world’s fastest-growing football markets,” said Pure Sports in a release. “The collaboration will enable us to support clubs as they strengthen their commercial capabilities and embrace new approaches to growth.”

The partnership positions PureSENT to contribute specialised knowledge of the Saudi sports and football sectors, while The Players Fund supplies venture infrastructure and experience from its work with Como 1907 Ventures — the club’s startup accelerator and investment platform. Como 1907 Ventures typically works with early-stage startups by giving them access to the club’s operations, facilities, brand, partners and network so they can test, refine and scale products in real-world conditions. The Players Fund serves as the venture infrastructure behind that platform.

Como 1907’s recent sporting trajectory is cited as a practical model for the venture approach: the club climbed from Serie D to Serie A in just six years and returned to Italy’s top flight in 2024 after a 21-year absence. PureSENT will draw on that experience to help local clubs and rights holders translate innovation into sustainable, long-term value both on and off the pitch.

• Geography: Programmes will target clubs and rights holders across Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East.
• Startup focus: Emphasis on Seed and Series A companies with technologies applicable to sports operations, commercial growth and fan engagement.
• Mechanisms: Corporate venture programmes, access to club assets for pilots, strategic investment opportunities.

Pure Sports framed the partnership as timely for the Kingdom: “As Saudi Arabia continues to invest in the transformation of its sports sector, the partnership reinforces the growing role of strategic collaboration in building a more dynamic, competitive and innovation-driven football ecosystem across the Kingdom and the wider region.”

For clubs, the initiative aims to strengthen commercial capabilities and introduce new revenue streams by integrating startups’ products into club operations and fan experiences. For startups, the model offers practical benefits — testbeds, branding alignment, partner networks and potential follow-on investment via The Players Fund and Como 1907 Ventures.

Looking ahead, the agreement could accelerate the adoption of technologies spanning performance analytics, fan engagement, venue operations and commercial optimisation within Middle Eastern football. By combining PureSENT’s regional expertise and The Players Fund’s venture experience, the partners intend to create scalable programmes that move beyond single pilots to generate measurable commercial returns and operational improvements for participating clubs and rights holders.