Former Rockets star Ralph Sampson hosts Houston pitch competition

Basketball Hall of Famer and former Rockets star Ralph Sampson at a business pitch competition in Houston on Thursday, May 2, 2019. Sampson teamed up with sports apparel company Puma and sports tech venture capital firm SeventySix Capital for the Ralph Sampson Pitchfest competition. The event was open to for-profit and nonprofit organizations related to sports, technology and community. less Basketball Hall of Famer and former Rockets star Ralph Sampson at a business pitch competition in Houston on Thursday, May 2, 2019. Sampson teamed up with sports apparel company Puma and sports tech venture ... more Photo: Bob Levey/Getty Images For PUMA Photo: Bob Levey/Getty Images For PUMA Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Former Rockets star Ralph Sampson hosts Houston pitch competition 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Basketball Hall of Famer and former Rockets star Ralph Sampson hosted a business pitch competition in Houston on Thursday, awarding $35,000 to the top three companies.

Sampson teamed up with sports apparel company Puma and sports tech venture capital firm SeventySix Capital for the Ralph Sampson Pitchfest competition. The event was open to for-profit and nonprofit organizations related to sports, technology and community.

Win-Win, a Silicon Valley company that's relocating to Houston, took home first place and $20,000. Win-Win combines sports gaming and celebrity with charity, a model that CEO Mike Tauiliili Brown calls "gamified giving."

At HoustonChronicle.com: 'Gamified giving' sports tech company prepares move to Houston

Here's how it works: A professional athlete creates a pick'em tournament where participants look at upcoming games, such as the Houston Texans versus the Dallas Cowboys, and select the teams they think will win. The entry fee is a donation (fully tax deductible) of any size to the athlete's chosen charity. Win-Win is starting with the National Football League and later expanding into the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.

Win-Win was among six companies competing in Thursday's event.

The second place winner, taking home $10,000, was Playbook Five. This company uses virtual reality to help train athletes, showing them plays through a headset to augment their practice on the field.

Third place and $5,000 went to Season Share, which created a mobile platform for fans to split and share season ticket purchases.