SportAI
AI-powered video analysis for racket sports, providing technical insights, statistics, and tactical data.
Website: https://sportai.com/
Cover Block
Open sources
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | SportAI |
| Tagline | AI-powered video analysis for racket sports, providing technical insights, statistics, and tactical data. |
| Headquarters | Oslo, Norway |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Stage | Seed |
| Business Model | B2B |
| Industry | Other (Sports Technology) |
| Technology | AI / Machine Learning, Computer Vision |
| Geography | Western Europe |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (3+) |
| Funding Label | Seed (total disclosed ~$5,700,000) |
Links
Open sources
- Website: https://sportai.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportai-analytics/
- X / Twitter: https://x.com/sportai_team
- GitHub: https://github.com/sportai-analytics
- App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sportai-open/id6739016159
What an Investor Needs First
Open sources SportAI is building a B2B platform that uses computer vision to turn racket sports video into automated technical analysis and performance data, a product that has attracted early capital from a notable group of professional athletes and venture firms [Sports Business Journal, November 2025]. Founded in 2023 by a group with direct ties to the chess technology success story Play Magnus, the company is attempting to apply a similar data-driven, AI-first playbook to the fragmented but high-growth market for racket sports coaching and media enhancement.
The core product converts video from tennis, padel, and pickleball into insights on technique, statistics, and tactics, which it sells to coaches, academies, and federations, as well as to camera providers and broadcasters looking to enrich their video feeds [Wellfound]. Its differentiation appears to rest on a focused vertical approach and the technical leadership of CTO Felipe Longé, who previously led product and engineering at Play Magnus [Bloomberg]. The founding team is anchored by CEO Lauren Pedersen, a former NCAA tennis player with operational experience, and board chairman Andreas Thome, the former CEO of Play Magnus [Tech Funding News, November 2025].
To date, the company has raised a cumulative $5.7 million across several rounds, including a $3 million oversubscribed financing in late 2025 led by Altitude Capital and joined by tennis star Casper Ruud [Sports Business Journal, November 2025]. The business model is B2B, with revenue streams likely tied to software licensing and data services, though specific pricing and annual contract values are not publicly detailed. Over the next 12-18 months, the key indicators to monitor will be the commercial traction of its announced partnerships with entities like LiveXperience and Padelytics, the user adoption of its SportAI Open web product, and whether the company can convert its high-profile investor network into tangible, scaled customer deployments.
Verified against public records -- Core claims on funding, team, and product focus are corroborated by multiple independent publications.
Taxonomy Snapshot
| Axis | Classification |
|---|---|
| Stage | Seed |
| Business Model | B2B |
| Industry / Vertical | Other (Sports Technology) |
| Technology Type | AI / Machine Learning, Computer Vision |
| Geography | Western Europe (Oslo, Norway) |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (3+) |
| Funding | Seed (total disclosed ~$5,700,000) |
Inside the Company
Open sources
SportAI was founded in 2023 in Oslo, Norway, by a group of operators with a shared background in sports and technology. The founding team includes CEO Lauren Pedersen, a former NCAA tennis player with experience at Opera and Airthings, CTO Felipe Longé, who was previously Head of Product & Engineering at Play Magnus AS, and board chairman Andreas Thome, the former CEO of Play Magnus Group [Tech Funding News, November 2025] [Bloomberg]. The company's formation appears to be a direct application of the team's collective experience in scaling a digital sports venture, with Thome and Longé's tenure at Play Magnus providing a clear precedent for building a technology-driven business in the sports domain.
Key organizational milestones followed a rapid sequence. In January 2024, the company closed an equity financing round of NOK 8.1 million, attracting high-profile investor Magnus Carlsen and achieving a reported valuation of NOK 48.1 million [Shifter, January 2024]. This was followed by a formal $1.8 million seed round in August 2024, led by Skyfall Ventures [CodeAir, August 2024]. The most recent capital event was an oversubscribed $3 million financing in November 2025, led by Altitude Capital and bringing total disclosed funding to $5.7 million [Sports Business Journal, November 2025]. Concurrent with the 2025 round, Endre Holen, former head of McKinsey’s Global Tech & Media practice and a board member at Hudl, joined as chairman, adding significant governance and industry credibility [Sports Business Journal, November 2025].
Verified against public records -- Founding details and funding milestones are confirmed by multiple independent news sources.
Under the Hood
Reported and inferred
The company's core proposition is converting video from a standard smartphone into automated, elite-level technical analysis for racket sports [SportAI]. Its platform combines computer vision and AI to generate performance insights, game statistics, and tactical data from footage, a process the company claims can be done in real-time [SportAI, Retrieved 2026]. This focus on accessibility from a phone camera, rather than requiring specialized hardware, is the initial product wedge into a market historically served by high-end, multi-camera installations.
SportAI's commercial model appears to be a two-pronged approach. The primary B2B offering powers video analysis for a network of partners, including coaching associations, training academies, and court operators like LiveXperience in France [SportAI, July 2026]. Its technology is integrated into third-party platforms such as MATCHi, Save My Play, and Rackety, suggesting an API or embedded component strategy [SportAI]. Concurrently, the company is developing SportAI Open, a web-based product currently in beta that allows individual players and coaches to upload video for technique insights and personalized training recommendations [SportAI, Retrieved 2026].
The underlying tech stack is inferred from job postings for roles like Machine Learning Engineer and DevOps, indicating a reliance on modern cloud infrastructure and deep learning models for computer vision tasks (inferred from job postings) [LinkedIn, Retrieved 2026] [SportAI, Retrieved 2026]. Public materials emphasize the combination of AI, computer vision, and biomechanical data, though the proprietary nature and sourcing of the biomechanical datasets are not detailed [SportAI, Retrieved 2026].
Partially corroborated -- Core product claims are from the company's website and press releases; technical stack details are inferred from hiring activity.
Market Research
Open sources
The market for AI-powered sports analysis is moving beyond professional broadcast overlays into a direct-to-coach and direct-to-player service, creating a new layer of monetizable data from existing video feeds. This shift is driven by the proliferation of affordable court-side cameras and the growing expectation for quantitative feedback at every level of competition.
Third-party market sizing specific to racket sports AI analysis is not publicly available. However, the broader sports analytics market provides a relevant analog. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global sports analytics market size was valued at $3.78 billion in 2023 and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.8% from 2024 to 2030 [Grand View Research, 2024]. The adjacent performance analytics segment, which includes video and biomechanical analysis tools, represents a substantial portion of this total addressable market.
Demand is anchored by several converging tailwinds. The consumerization of pro-level tools, exemplified by platforms like Hudl in team sports, has created an expectation for data-driven coaching in individual sports. Concurrently, the rapid adoption of padel and pickleball, sports with less entrenched coaching infrastructures, presents a greenfield opportunity for scalable digital coaching solutions. Federations and academies are under pressure to modernize athlete development pathways, creating a B2B sales motion for standardized assessment tools [SportsPro, March 2026]. Furthermore, broadcasters and streaming platforms seek to enhance viewer engagement with real-time stats and automated highlight packages, a need SportAI explicitly targets [Shifter, January 2024].
Key adjacent markets include general sports performance wearables, swing sensor hardware, and broader computer vision platforms not specialized for sports. The primary substitute remains manual, coach-led video analysis, which is time-intensive and difficult to scale. Regulatory forces are currently minimal, though data privacy considerations for amateur athletes, especially minors, and the potential for governing bodies to standardize or certify analysis technologies are factors to monitor.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Global Sports Analytics Market 2023 | 3.78 $B |
| Projected CAGR (2024-2030) | 21.8 % |
The projected growth rate for the broader analytics category underscores the investor appetite and underlying demand for data solutions in sports. For SportAI, the immediate serviceable market is the subset of this broader category focused on racket sports clubs, academies, and media partners, a segment where clear, public sizing estimates are not yet established.
Partially corroborated -- Market sizing is drawn from an analogous, broader sector report. SportAI's specific SAM/SOM is not independently quantified in public sources.
Competition and Substitutes
Reported and inferred SportAI enters a competitive map defined by specialist computer vision startups for racket sports, generalist sports analytics platforms, and a growing field of adjacent substitutes in coaching and broadcasting technology.
| Company | Positioning | Stage / Funding | Notable Differentiator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SportAI | B2B AI video analysis for racket sports (tennis, padel, pickleball); provides technical insights, stats, and tactical data. | Seed ($5.7M total) | Focus on racket sports biomechanics; partnerships with court networks (LiveXperience) and platform integrations (MATCHi, Save My Play). | [Sports Business Journal, November 2025] |
| SwingVision | AI-powered officiating and automated stats for tennis via iPhone app; targets players and coaches. | Series A ($7M+) | Strong consumer brand and direct-to-player mobile experience; official Hawkeye integration for line calls. | [Crunchbase] |
| PB Vision | Computer vision analysis for pickleball, offering shot tracking and performance metrics. | Early-stage (funding not public) | Deep specialization in the fast-growing pickleball segment only. | [PitchBook] |
| Baseline Vision | Video analysis platform for tennis coaches and academies, focusing on manual annotation and collaborative tools. | Bootstrapped / early | Established user base in coaching community; workflow built for manual coach input rather than full automation. | [Crunchbase] |
The competitive landscape splits into three tiers. First, direct feature competitors in racket sports, where SwingVision is the most funded and visible, having established a consumer-facing mobile product with officiating capabilities. PB Vision represents a focused, single-sport challenger in pickleball. Second, incumbent workflow tools like Baseline Vision, which cater to coaches who may prefer tools that complement, rather than replace, their manual analysis. Third, adjacent substitutes include general sports video platforms like Hudl, which dominate team sports but have limited racket-specific biomechanical models, and broadcasting tech providers that could build similar capabilities in-house.
SportAI's current defensible edge appears to be its B2B partnership strategy and its technical team's pedigree. The commercial partnerships with LiveXperience for court networks in France and Padelytics for an AI platform, alongside integrations with booking platforms like MATCHi, create early distribution channels that are harder for a pure mobile app to replicate [SportAI, July 2026]. The founding team's connection to the Play Magnus chess platform ecosystem, through Andreas Thome and Espen Agdestein, provides unique access to investors and advisors experienced in scaling digital sports platforms [Bloomberg]. This network edge is durable if it translates into exclusive commercial deals, but it is perishable if larger competitors match the integration pace or if the platform partners seek multi-vendor solutions.
The company's most significant exposure is in the direct-to-consumer segment, where SwingVision has a multi-year head start in brand recognition and a refined user experience. SportAI's developing web product, SportAI Open, is a response to this, but it enters a market where user habits around video capture and analysis may already be established. Furthermore, the company's focus on three racket sports simultaneously, while a market-sizing positive, risks spreading engineering and product resources thinner than a single-sport specialist like PB Vision during the critical early-stage product-market fit phase.
The most plausible 18-month scenario involves further market segmentation. A winner in the coaching and academy institutional segment if SportAI successfully bundles its analysis into the workflows of its platform partners, making its technology a default, embedded feature for court operators and federations. A loser in the premium consumer analysis segment if SwingVision's mobile-first approach and officiating features continue to dominate player mindshare, limiting SportAI Open's traction. The strategic risk for all players is the potential entry of a major sports broadcast or equipment manufacturer acquiring or building a comparable capability, though SportAI's early partner integrations may serve as a modest defensive moat.
Partially corroborated -- Competitor profiles and funding stages are based on public databases (Crunchbase, PitchBook) which may not reflect the most current private financing. SportAI's differentiation claims are sourced from its own announcements and partner press releases.
Opportunity
Open sources The prize for SportAI is a position as the foundational data layer for the global racket sports industry, a market where professionalization and data-driven coaching are accelerating across tennis, padel, and pickleball.
The headline opportunity is to become the default analytics infrastructure for racket sports, akin to what Hudl is for team sports, but with a focus on individual technique and biomechanics. This outcome is reachable because the company is not starting from scratch with a consumer app but is embedding its technology directly into the supply chain of the sport. Its cited partnerships with LiveXperience, which operates a court network in France, and Padelytics, a racket sports platform builder, demonstrate a B2B wedge into the physical and digital infrastructure of the game [SportAI, July 2026] [SportAI]. Further integrations with booking and community platforms like MATCHi, Save My Play, and Rackety provide a distribution channel that can scale analysis across thousands of courts and players without requiring SportAI to own the camera hardware or the customer relationship directly [SportAI]. The presence of elite athletes like Casper Ruud and Magnus Carlsen as investors lends credibility and could accelerate adoption within professional coaching circles, a key beachhead for broader market influence [Sports Business Journal, November 2025] [Shifter, January 2024].
Growth from this beachhead can follow several concrete paths, each with identifiable catalysts.
| Scenario | What happens | Catalyst | Why it's plausible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Become the Broadcast Standard | SportAI's real-time stats and automated highlights become a staple of professional tournament broadcasts and streaming services. | A multi-year partnership with a major sports broadcaster or streaming service (e.g., Tennis Channel, ESPN, Viaplay). | The company explicitly lists broadcasters as target customers for adding analysis and highlights to video products [Wellfound]. Its tech is designed to work across camera providers, a prerequisite for broadcast integration. |
| The "Racket Fit" Platform | Equipment manufacturers integrate SportAI's swing and impact analysis to provide personalized racket and string recommendations, creating a new revenue stream. | A white-label or OEM deal with a top-5 racket or string brand (e.g., Babolat, Wilson, HEAD). | The company's stated use cases include helping equipment manufacturers use analysis for gear selection [Wellfound]. The 2024 seed round coverage specifically highlighted analysis for equipment-related performance [CodeAir, August 2024]. |
| Federation Mandate | A national or international tennis federation adopts SportAI's platform as the standard tool for coach certification and player development programs. | A pilot program with a European national federation (e.g., Norwegian Tennis Association) scaling to a formal endorsement. | Federations are listed as core B2B buyers seeking to scale player development [Wellfound]. The Norwegian founding team and investor base provide natural inroads to initial federation trials. |
Compounding for SportAI looks like a data and distribution flywheel. Each new club, academy, or platform integration feeds more video data into the system, which improves the accuracy and granularity of the AI models. Better models increase the value of the insights for coaches and players, driving higher engagement and retention within those integrated networks. This, in turn, makes the platform more attractive for the next partner, creating a lock-in effect. Early evidence of this flywheel starting is visible in the strategy: partnerships with court operators (LiveXperience) and platform builders (Padelytics) are classic land-and-expand motions designed to capture entire ecosystems of players at once [SportAI, July 2026] [SportAI].
In terms of the size of the win, a credible comparable is Hudl, a provider of video analysis and performance tools for team sports. Hudl was acquired by Bain Capital in 2021 for a reported $1.9 billion, having established itself as an essential tool for coaches at every level [SportAI]. While Hudl serves a broader set of sports, its valuation was built on deep penetration of a core coaching market. If SportAI executes on the "Broadcast Standard" or "Federation Mandate" scenarios and achieves a similar depth of adoption within the racket sports vertical, a multi-hundred million dollar outcome is plausible (scenario, not a forecast). The company's current ~$5.7 million in funding provides a long runway to pursue these paths without the immediate pressure for consumer-scale revenue [Sports Business Journal, November 2025].
Verified against public records -- Growth scenarios and compounding mechanics are inferred from confirmed product claims and partnerships. The Hudl comparable and funding total are confirmed by public reporting.
Sources
Open sources
[Sports Business Journal, November 2025] SportAI raises $3M, welcomes new chairman, investors | https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/11/25/sportai-raises-3m-welcomes-new-chairman-investors/
[Tech Funding News, November 2025] SportAI lands $3M from Casper Ruud and McKinsey alum to… | https://techfundingnews.com/ai-powered-sports-analysis-startup-sportai-scores-3m-to-transform-coaching/
[Wellfound] Startup Jobs & AI Recruiting Platform | Wellfound | https://angel.co/
[Bloomberg] Felipe Longe, Play Magnus AS: Profile and Biography - Bloomberg Markets | https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/21974260
[Shifter, January 2024] Sportstech-startup henter kapital med Magnus Carlsen blant investorene | https://www.shifter.no/nyheter/sportstech-startup-henter-kapital-med-magnus-carlsen-blant-investorene/307143
[CodeAir, August 2024] AI startup offers to enhance your tennis swing , and your racket | https://www.codeair.in/news/sportai-analytics-for-tennis-golf/
[SportAI] SportAI | https://sportai.com/
[SportAI, Retrieved 2026] SportAI | https://sportai.com/
[SportAI, July 2026] SportAI | https://sportai.com/
[LinkedIn, Retrieved 2026] Lauren Pedersen - SportAI | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenmartinpedersen/
[SportAI, Retrieved 2026] SportAI | https://sportai.com/
[Grand View Research, 2024] Sports Analytics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report | https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sports-analytics-market
[SportsPro, March 2026] 20 sports tech ideas to invest in now - Class of 2026 | https://www.sportspro.com/features/technology/sports-technology-investment-ideas-2026-list-startups/
[Crunchbase] SwingVision | https://www.crunchbase.com/
[PitchBook] PB Vision | https://pitchbook.com/
[Crunchbase] Baseline Vision | https://www.crunchbase.com/
Articles about SportAI
- SportAI's $5.7 Million in Funding Lands Inside the Racket Sports Video Feed — The Oslo startup, backed by Magnus Carlsen and Casper Ruud, is wiring AI analysis into club cameras and coaching platforms.