Jena, 09.04.2026. The Jena-based start-up Janova GmbH has filed a lawsuit against the Deutscher Tischtennis-Bund (DTTB) at the Landgericht Berlin II. The core of the legal dispute is access to central match data and the question of who significantly shapes the digital future of the sport.
- Plaintiff: Janova GmbH (technology start-up from Jena)
- Defendant: Deutscher Tischtennis-Bund (DTTB)
- Subject of the lawsuit: Access to the federation’s central match data
- Competent court: Landgericht Berlin II
Dispute over Digital Sovereignty in Sports
The legal conflict between the Thuringian company and the national sports federation exemplifies a far-reaching debate in the sports industry: Who determines the rules of digitalization? While large governing bodies like the DTTB want to maintain control over their historically grown data and infrastructures, external innovators are pushing into the market with new solutions.
With its lawsuit, Janova GmbH is demanding access to this essential match data. For the young company, the federation’s information is apparently necessary to further develop its own digital applications and hardware additions for table tennis and to make them available to players. The outcome of these proceedings could serve as a landmark decision on whether federations must open their data to third parties in the future.
Background: Jena as a Start-up Location and the Importance of Sports Data
Jena has developed into a significant technology hub in Central Germany through the close networking of the university, the university of applied sciences, and local business incubators. Start-ups from the “City of Light” often focus on data-driven software solutions that aim to break up traditional structures.
In the field of so-called Sports Tech (sports technology), aggregated match data is considered an essential resource. Match schedules, live results, league tables, and individual performance statistics are the mandatory basis for modern training apps, sensors, or community platforms. If federations seal off this data in closed systems, it massively complicates the development of cross-industry and independent innovations.
Source:
Why a start-up from Thuringia is suing the German Table Tennis Federation
Transparency Note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.