It’s not just the athletes that shined.
The Paris Olympics have just wrapped up, leaving us with countless memorable moments—from rapper Snoop Dogg being the perfect torch-bearer (he did not, luckily, “drop it like it’s hot”) to some unexpected victories.
For the first time, Saint Lucia celebrated winning an Olympic gold medal. Meanwhile, Indian shooter Manu Bhaker took home two bronze medals, turning her into a sought-after figure for brand endorsements in the country.
Some could argue that the Olympics, on some level, act as a democratizer. It is a stage for legendary athletes like gymnast Simone Biles and runner Sha’Carri Richardson to cement their legacies further, but also for underdogs—like Julien Alfred from Saint Lucia or the Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec, who nonchalantly snagged a silver medal. In the same vein, this grand event offers big sponsors like Coca-Cola the chance to continue their legacy while shining a spotlight on emerging brands eager to build one.
Here, we look at some startups that got a chance to shine during the Olympics 2024.
Kinomap: Making the route to the Olympics accessible
Kinomap app UI
Image from Kinomap
Founded over a decade ago, Kinomap is a French startup specializing in interactive and immersive training apps for cycling, running and indoor rowing. Despite its relatively small size, Kinomap secured a decent share of the Olympic spotlight. The startup inked a licensing agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to let users experience the same virtual routes Olympic athletes competed on.
Kinomap’s CEO Philippe Moity anticipated this partnership could create up to one million new user accounts in the upcoming seven months—a massive increase from the app’s annual 400,000 new accounts. However, he also acknowledged the challenges of such a high-profile collaboration. With just 30 people on their team, the undisclosed cost of the license and the intense marketing efforts required was substantial.
Le Pavé: Paving the eco-conscious reality
Le Pavé made seats out of recycled plastic
Image by the New York Times
The 2024 Olympics were a massive nod to eco-consciousness—serving plant-based meals and emphasizing recycled infrastructure. The silver podiums that graced Olympic venues across France were crafted by Le Pavé, a startup based on the outskirts of Paris. What sets these podiums apart is that they were made entirely from recycled plastic—a first in Olympic history.
Founded in 2016 by four students with a mission to promote sustainability, Le Pavé aims to transform waste into worthy assets (and what better opportunity to do so than the Olympics). The startup also manufactured 11,000 bleacher seats for two nearby sports arenas, using recycled shampoo bottles and millions of multicolored bottle caps.
“There’s an overabundance of plastic harming the environment, but it also has economic potential if repurposed,” Maurius Hamelot, the co-founder of Le Pavé, told The New York Times.
Just a few years ago, Le Pavé had only three employees. However, after receiving an unexpected call from Olympic organizers, the company secured a substantial contract that allowed it to expand to 34 employees and open two new factories. Beyond eco-friendliness, the company put its altruistic arm on display by hiring staff from the Seine-Saint-Denis area, including individuals who had been unemployed long-term, asylum-seekers and a former prisoner eager for a fresh start.
Wintics: Winning big on security
Wintics surveillance interface
Image by Wintics
In a prior article, we looked at how the Olympics leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) to amp up security. A piece of that puzzle was startups like Wintics, which enabled this technology. Founded in 2017 by three entrepreneurs, Wintics is a video analytics software company in the security industry. Its technology is designed to analyze vast amounts of video data in real time, identifying potential security threats and anomalies that could otherwise go unnoticed by human operators. This includes everything from crowd management and flow optimization to detecting suspicious activities or objects.
The founder of Wintics, Matthias Houllier, said the Olympics deal could mean an additional EUR4 million (US$4.3 million) in turnover for the company. This is a real boost for a small business bidding against some of the country’s security giants.
Left On Friday: Fashioning a new era for small brands
Swimwear designed for Team Canada
Image by Left On Friday
Left on Friday, a premium active swimwear brand, made its Olympic debut this year, designing swimwear for Team Canada. Founded by former Lululemon executives Low Ah Kee and Shannon Savage six years ago, the brand saw the Games as a chance to reach a broader audience. However, as Savage points out, competing in the big leagues doesn’t come without challenges.
“You don’t have the budgets that the bigger brands have, but that doesn’t mean you lack the innovation, creativity or standout styles. In fact, you might be leading the category in your own way,” Savage told Forbes.
Grand events like the Olympics are a major opportunity for brands, big and small, to grab attention. Whether by associating with the event or the athletes, these startups have successfully shared in the adulation.
This has been a huge victory for the bigger brands, too. For example, thanks to the massive footfall in Paris, the Olympics became the largest single-hosting event in Airbnb’s history, with over 430,000 guests staying in the area. Plus, pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly—wanting to reimagine their brand perception—associated themselves with the Games’ positive energy, recruiting U.S. Olympians like Simone Biles to represent their products.
At the risk of repeating clichés, there are no losers at the Olympics. Being part of that experience—be it as an athlete or a brand—is one to remember forever.
Also read:
- Paris Olympics 2024: How AI Is Changing the Game
- LVMH Celebrates Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a Fusion of Art and Sports
- What impact do the Olympics have on a city’s economy?
Header Image by Snoop Dogg’s Instagram and Brand Websites
