TORONTO - Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and Ryerson University are funding a handful of tech startups to drive innovation in the sports industry.

The pair have chosen six early-stage companies to provide with mentorship through their Future of Sport Lab Incubator and opportunities to pilot their concepts with MLSE teams and venues.

Brain imaging assessment business Performance Phenomics, e-sports scouting reports company Rival.ai and women's sports news organization the Gist are all Toronto-based and have been accepted into the incubator.

Rounding out the ventures accepted to the incubator are Saskatoon-based athlete evaluations business SkillShark and New York startups Spalk and Stakes, which specialize in virtual sportscasting and real-time sports wagering between friends, respectively.

Each of the businesses will spend four months in the incubator and will get access to business guidance and Ryerson's resources.

MLSE says the ventures may also find support and potential growth opportunities with their teams and venues, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, Argonauts, Marlies and Toronto FC.