The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and Flutter have hosted the Future of Racing summit in London, inviting ten technology businesses to present solutions aimed at strengthening the long-term appeal of British racing.
Held at Flutter’s London headquarters on 10 February, the event brought together industry executives and venture capital representatives to hear proposals selected from more than 100 global applicants.
The programme forms part of racing’s wider strategy to attract future generations of racegoers, following research conducted through Project Beacon, a survey of more than 7,500 respondents.
Project Beacon identified cost barriers, complex terminology and concerns around equine welfare as key issues affecting engagement, particularly among those aged 18 to 28.
The start-ups presented solutions across four defined themes: horse welfare, education, raceday experience and enhanced behind-the-scenes access.
Among the businesses pitching were Sleip, which demonstrated mobile equine gait analysis; AWAG, focused on monitoring horses’ lifetime welfare; and Equitech Analytics, which develops wearable performance trackers.
Other proposals included AI-driven yard management platforms, biometric rider clothing and racecourse surface analytics tools.
David Jones, Senior Independent Director of the BHA, said: “The Future of Racing Summit was a fascinating event that demonstrated the range of technologies that exist which have the potential to grow our sport.”
Jones added: “What Project Beacon has done is create a data set that businesses can understand and target solutions towards. I look forward to following the relationships that have been developed through the course of this initiative.”
Sebastian Butterworth, Strategic Racing Director for Flutter UKI, said: “We have been delighted to work alongside the BHA on the Future of Racing programme, utilising the skills and experience of our internal Alpha Hub team in exploring the world of innovative and emerging technology.”
Butterworth added: “We are really looking forward to continuing the work with the BHA to progress the programme over the coming months.”
A further showcase event is scheduled to take place at York Racecourse later this year, where updates on both the summit outcomes and wider Project Beacon activity will be presented.
In December 2025, the BHA called for cross-industry collaboration following the UK Budget, warning that rising gambling taxes could indirectly impact racing through reduced operator marketing and sponsorship spend.
Project Beacon represents one of the most extensive audience research initiatives undertaken by British racing, with more than 7,500 participants contributing to its findings
