A SCOTTISH wearable technology company aiming to transform the way sportspeople train, using software and analytics, has raised $2.3 million as part of an international expansion push.
Backing for Edinburgh-based PlayerData included funding from Hiro Capital, the London and Luxembourg fund investing across games, esports, streaming and digital sports, and former Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy, an early investor in the business.
PlayerData’s wearable tech captured over 10,000 team sessions and 50 million metres of athlete play in UK grassroots football and rugby in year one.
The raise will be used to support PlayerData’s growth “across multiple sports and to expand internationally”.
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PlayerData said its AI algorithms predict player injuries before they happen and its tools allow coaches to replay key moments from the game, modelling different outcomes based on player positioning.
Roy Hotrabhvanon, co-founder and chief executive of PlayerData, is a former international archer who narrowly missed out on selection for the Rio Olympics in 2016 for the Thai national team.
“We leverage our platform and data to generate biometric insights applicable at any level - from competitive grassroots to professional,” said Mr Hotrabhvanon. “Our ultimate goal is to implement cutting-edge insights from pioneering wearables that are applicable to any team in any discipline at any level. As an investment partner, Hiro Capital shares this commitment to our mission.”
Global fitness app downloads grew by 47 per cent year-on-year to around 700 million, accelerated by a focus on health and wellbeing amid lockdowns.
Unicorn-scale stars of the sector include Peloton, Tonal, Mirror and Hiro’s portfolio investment Zwift.
Cherry Freeman, co-founding partner at Hiro, said “PlayerData ticks all of our key boxes”.
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