Fresh off multiple wins, the sensor-powered Smart Arena company earns coveted Venture Spotlight at BC Pavilion

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 24, 2026) - DRIVE Hockey Analytics Inc. (drivehockey.com) has been selected by Innovate BC as a showcase at the BC Pavilion during Web Summit Vancouver, May 12-14, 2026. The company will present in the AI / Quantum sector as part of the Venture Spotlight program, which highlights British Columbia's most promising early-stage ventures to a global audience of investors, partners, and media.

2025 Portable tracking system setup at Kamloops Blazers arena. Photo by Daniel Stewart, Drive Hockey Analytics

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DRIVE is building the infrastructure layer for sports AI. Its patented Smart Arena technology, sensor systems installed in sports facilities, captures real-time player performance data that video alone cannot: fitness data, positioning decisions, movement patterns, and tactical awareness. This sensor data forms the foundation for DRIVE's emerging sports AI platform, unlocking capabilities that have never existed in sport.

DRIVE's traction includes an innovation partnership with Canlan Sports, North America's largest private sector owner/operator of state of the art recreational sports complexes with 47 ice, 10 indoor turf and 10 indoor court surfaces, 50,000+ members in their adult recreational hockey league, 250,000 active participants in their leagues, programs, camps and rentals and over 12 million customer visits per year, to develop and refine its Smart Arena technology within the Canlan Sports ecosystem.

"Young athletes want to get better, they just don't have a clear path on how and parents are spending upwards of $20K a year trying to solve that. We replace opinions with data, making pro-level performance insights accessible to every coach, player and scout," said Mike Dahlstedt, Founder and CEO of DRIVE Hockey. "Web Summit is the ideal stage to connect with global partners and investors who share our vision."

The Web Summit selection caps a breakout period for DRIVE. In recent weeks, the company won the Georgian Angel Network pitch competition at their annual summit and has been nominated for a Misty West Hardtech Award, EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and a National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) Moonshot Venture Award. The company is running pilots with top junior leagues across North America and has recently signed their first EU distributor.

As of Q1 2026, DRIVE has tracked over 6,000 players across approximately 20 paid pilots, accumulating approximately 1Bn rows of performance data. The company holds four patents spanning North America and Europe.

About DRIVE Hockey Analytics

DRIVE Hockey Analytics Inc. builds sensor-powered Smart Arena technology and sports AI that supports coaching and performance development of amateur hockey players. Founded and headquartered in Burnaby, BC, DRIVE's platform transforms how players, parents, and coaches understand performance and development. Learn more at drivehockey.com.

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