Sportlight, which supplies Premier League teams with comprehensive player performance data, has raised capital from investors including the owner of Southampton FC.
A sports startup that employs athlete tracking technology to provide Premier League teams and other clients with more accurate insights into player performance has secured a £4 million financing injection.
Sportlight, which was founded in 2017, has received funding from a group of investors, including the Sports Republic, the owner of Southampton FC, Bolt Ventures, and Andy Young, the former chief financial officer of City Football Group, the owner of Manchester City.
Sportlight was founded as a spinoff of Createc, a specialized research and development business that produced threat analysis technologies for individuals operating in conflict zones and the nuclear and infrastructure industries.
It’s funding, which was valued at £12 million, demonstrates the increasing importance elite sports teams place on having access to advanced data for decision-making purposes.
The company’s LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors and artificial intelligence generate incredibly granular data for athletic organizations to analyze.
It states that it now works with the majority of the 20 teams in the English Premier League.
Sportlight asserts that its system is effective in all weather situations, with sensors positioned in stadiums around the midway line, typically close to the main broadcast gantry.
Raf Keustermans, the chief executive officer of Sportlight, stated that the company’s goal was “to become the gold standard, supplanting legacy technology as the primary source of data for professional sports organizations.
Mr. Keustermans is a serial entrepreneur who co-founded gaming companies such as Sony-acquired Plumbee and Bonza Gaming.
Based in Bicester, Sportlight is currently in preliminary negotiations with several different sports organizations, including the NBA and teams from other leagues.
