Mentioned in this article Teams: Team Vitality

The grandsons of Adidas founder Adi Dassler have a message that they want the entire esports industry to hear—they’re offering $25,000 for sports startups, and want “anyone with a great idea that is not yet founded.”

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The top ten finalists will then be connected to investors and sports business veterans.[/perfectpullquote]

They’re calling it the “legacy of Adi Dassler” sports accelerator. LeAD is currently open to applications from currently active seed-stage startups, but also welcome to new ideas—including those from the esports world. From those applications, selected businesses will undergo a 12-week business skills training program in the fall, along with other assistance in realizing their plans.

The top ten finalists will then be connected to investors and sports business veterans in the hopes that those plans take off. In return, leAD will receive eight percent equity in those finalists.

Adidas previously made headlines in esports when Team Vitality signed a sponsorship deal with the company in January. With the growth of the industry on a rise, it’s no wonder that the company is now looking for potentially other ways to get involved.

H/T Dot Esports

Update: LeAD’s legal team messages us with this: