Startups are thriving globally—but turning a great idea into a viable business takes more than just innovation. That’s where the Plug and Play model steps in. From Silicon Valley to emerging tech hubs, this unique accelerator platform is reshaping how startups access capital, mentorship, and industry partners. Leading the movement is Plug and Play Tech Center, a global innovation platform based in California.

At its core, Plug and Play is a structured accelerator that gives startups immediate access to a powerful ecosystem of corporate partners, venture capitalists, mentors, and technical resources—all under one roof. The idea is simple: startups can ‘plug in’ and start scaling, without needing to build these connections from scratch.

In a recent episode of the EssentiallySports–Think Tank podcast, David Steele, Director at Plug and Play, joined Trey Holder and Kevin Smith, a Sports Business Professor at Texas Christian University, to break down how the model works in practice. Steele explained how Plug and Play matches startups with real-world problem statements from corporate partners—and then connects them with potential customers, investors, or collaborators to bring those solutions to life.

Driving Innovation Through Global Startup-Corporate Collaborations

Holder shared his experience working with the Plug and Play model, explaining what set it apart and why he chose to engage with it. Unlike most traditional accelerators that focus on pitching to investors, Plug and Play prioritizes connecting startups directly with end users and strategic partners—the ones who will use the product. “That was one of the reasons when we got out and picked to work with Plug & Play on the experience with the retailers and brands to put them in the environment to all those startups to pitch,” Holder said. 

However, Smith needed a better understanding of the working model and pressed Steele directly. Steele explained that his clients have problem statements, and what they do is go out and look for the solutions by looking for revenue/investment opportunities drive innovation. “It’s all driven by what corporations you are looking for… So, they all have these problem statements. They come to us to go out and find the solution. When we look at the opportunity to drive innovation, it could be anywhere from a revenue opportunity to an investment opportunity. What we do is we go out and source these across the globe,” Steele said.

The Director at Plug and Play Tech Center claimed they have over 100K startups in their ecosystem, which their ventures team uses to find “fancy solutions from these problem statements.” He referred to his organisation as a “master connecter,” which is focused on building “relationships” to get a proof of concept.

“When we run the programming side of it, it’s all driven based on how the industry is specific in that particular location. When we are looking at that, that’s allowing those startups and those corporate partners to have those connections for those 12 weeks, really just drive the business side,” Steele said. 

Plug and Play Tech Center is dedicated to simplifying the startup journey while driving impactful innovation through its extensive client network. This mindset aligns with the Think Tank initiative—to provide a blueprint for brands to navigate through the complex yet rewarding landscape of sports marketing.

Think Tank is a premium initiative of EssentiallySports that brings together the brightest minds to discuss strategy, leadership, change, and opportunities in the world of sports content business. We strive to deliver thought leadership that sparks change and unlocks new opportunities. This is EssentiallySports Think Tank—Where Sports Meets Smart Content.