Sports Technology Startup SportAI Closes $1.8M Seed-Funding Round

Sports technology startup SportAI, which uses artificial intelligence to improve sports performance, recently closed a $1.8 million seed funding round. 

SportAI’s platform provides sports-technique coaching, commentary and analysis using machine learning, computer vision and biometric technology. The B2B company caters to coaches and training facilities, broadcasts and sports-equipment brands and retailers.

The cloud-based platform analyzes player technique in real time and provides individual feedback aimed at improving performance in sports like golf or tennis. An individual’s technique is compared to thousands of other players, including professional athletes and an automated, data-driven analysis is then provided — a service the company said is typically only affordable for professional players. 

The Oslo-based company added that the technology can also be used by broadcasters to enhance their live-sporting commentary with instant technique analysis, while equipment brands can use it for product recommendations based on a player’s personal technique.

SportAI’s platform is hardware agnostic and can analyze video from mobile phones, court-mounted cameras and broadcast feeds. Previously, video analysis required manual tagging by coaches using specific hardware, which limited scalability and longevity, the company said in announcing the funding.

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The investment will be used to scale SportAI's technology development, expand its team and increase market penetration. The company said its platform has already attracted attention in the sports industry, and it secured its first commercial contract — yet to be announced — in June. 

The seed-investment round was led by early-stage investor Skyfall Ventures. Other participants in the funding included Norwegian pension fund MP Pensjon, ex-pro tennis player and AI startup founder Dekel Valtzer and Sverre Munck, a former executive at Schibsted Media Group. World chess champion Magnus Carlsen was an advisor and investor in the company’s pre-seed round. 

"Skyfall Ventures is proud to support SportAI in their mission to make world-class expertise accessible to all,” Skyfall Partner and Co-Founder Jon Kåre Stene said. “Like OpenAI’s ambition to make intelligence abundant and accessible, SportAI is working to ensure that everybody has access to the best sports training in the world. SportAI's innovative approach and cutting-edge solutions align perfectly with our focus on investing in high-growth technology startups.”