Over the years, we've seen a ramping up of the amount of technology used in the FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR ) tech, which involves a current or former referee watching ongoing matches via specialised screens that allow for slow-motion replays and offer loads of data, was first deployed in the 2018 edition of the tournament, to some mixed responses.
VAR is still in use this year, joined by a load of other innovations. For example, did you know that this year's signature football 'Al Rihla' actually needs to be charged? That's because the Adidas-manufactured ball contains a sensor that records the ball's movement data at 500 frames per second, to determine the accuracy of offsides and such. The sensor was developed by the German firm KINEXON.
However, the German company is not the only startup to support the FIFA World Cup this year. Arzan VC, a venture capital firm based in Kuwait, has compiled a (non-comprehensive) list of the tech startups supporting the tournament in Qatar this year.
Image Credit: Arzan VC
Check out their great write-up about the tech and startups at the event here.
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