UEFA’s Champions Innovate unveils three startups set to boost innovation around the 2024 UEFA Champions League final

Champions Innovate, UEFA's groundbreaking programme focused on innovation and sustainability around the 2024 UEFA Champions League final in London, is proud to announce the selection of three innovative startups: Pavegen, My Emissions and Pledgeball to catalyse innovation.

The three selected startups will develop their pilot project with their respective commercial partner – PepsiCo, Just Eat Takeaway.com, and Mastercard – and receive support from the UEFA Innovation Hub, the Football Association, the Greater London Authority, and London & Partners.

This year, the challenges, put forward by the City of London focus on how fans can actively be involved in enhancing the 2024 Champions League final’s social and environmental impact, leaving a lasting positive impact on the host city.

The approach supports UEFA’s efforts to catalyse innovative and sustainability-focused solutions across the football ecosystem, and is fully aligned with its dedicated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy for the final in London.

Green Energy Challenge

In collaboration with Pavegen, a UK tech company, PepsiCo will use fan engagement to generate power for the Friday Night DJ, presented by Rockstar Energy® drink (talent name TBC), by converting footsteps into electrical energy at the Champions Festival in Trafalgar Square. The power of Pavegen's smart flooring technology will then be evaluated as a model for promoting renewable and sustainability awareness at future sporting and entertainment events.

Sustainable Food Challenge

My Emissions, a carbon labelling company, will work with Just Eat Takeaway.com to calculate and communicate the carbon emissions of food offerings at the UEFA Champions League final to support fans to make more sustainable choices. Just Eat Takeaway.com has already been working with My Emissions in the UK to test this solution and is now expanding this by introducing it to a wider audience after being selected by the Champions Innovate programme.

Fintech and Fan Engagement Challenge

Pledgeball, a research driven charity committed to sustainability in sports, will join forces with Mastercard to engage fans to tackle climate change. In a UEFA first, Mastercard and Pledgeball will create a League for fans who can most effectively reduce their carbon consumption. By promoting sustainable activities, Mastercard and Pledgeball, together with fans, are taking a step towards creating a greener Champions League final in London and a more environmentally conscious sports community.

Three in-person workshops

These three selected startups will benefit from three in-person workshops in London. These workshops provide a platform for expert mentoring, collaboration and refinement of the startups’ innovative solutions in the context of the UEFA Champions League final. The first workshop took place last Wednesday in London and the next one is due to take place on 14 March.

Finally, in addition to extensive support from both the sponsors and UEFA, the startups will have an exclusive opportunity to demonstrate the outcomes of their pilot development project at the final showcase event due to take place at London City Hall on 30 May, two days prior to the UEFA Champions League final.