SportAI is a B2B sports technology company based in Oslo, Norway, that utilizes AI to provide real-time sports technique analysis. And the company focuses on using computer vision and machine learning to democratize access to elite-level analysis for businesses across the sports industry. Pulse 2.0 interviewed SportAI CEO Lauren Pedersen to learn more about the company.
Lauren Pedersen’s Background
What is Lauren Pedersen’s background? Pedersen said:
“I grew up in Wellington, New Zealand, where sports were a big part of my life. I was a black belt in taekwondo at age 13 and earned a tennis scholarship to an NCAA Division I school in the US. After university, I pursued a career in advertising in New York and London before transitioning into the tech space in Oslo. I’ve worked in roles across mobile payments, air quality sensors, and browsers (like Opera Software). My career in tech combined with my passion for tennis naturally led to the founding of SportAI. SportAI is my first venture as a co-founder, and it’s a platform that merges my love for sports and technology.”
Formation Of SportAI
How did the idea for the company come together? Pedersen shared:
“Together with my co-founders—Felipe Longé, an experienced CTO, Trond Kittelsen, a tennis fanatic, Andreas Thome, former CEO of Play Magnus and Espen Agdestein, an experienced entrepreneur—we saw the potential to apply AI to sports to make advanced, objective sports data available to everyone, from those who are already professionals to amateur players too, and we could see that leveraging computer vision and machine learning would be the way to do this. Growing up in New Zealand, I didn’t have access to high-quality tennis coaching and technique analysis that many athletes do in other countries, so I am really powered by the ambition to democratize access to this sort of world-class sports training.”
Favorite Memory
What has been Pedersen’s favorite memory working for the company so far? Pedersen reflected:
“In August, I attended the US Tennis Open in New York, where I had the opportunity to demonstrate SportAI’s technology to other sportspeople, investors, and potential business partners. It was a thrilling atmosphere to be able to show firsthand how AI can revolutionize sports training, especially in an environment where I was surrounded by the world’s best tennis players, who have committed to years of gruelling training. Showing SportAI off at the event definitely strengthened my excitement for how we are contributing to the sports tech industry and helping change the shape of coaching for future tennis pros.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Pedersen explained:
“SportAI offers AI-powered sports technique analysis. Our initial focus is on racket sports like tennis and padel, but our ambition is to expand to a wide range of sports. Our platform analyzes a player’s movements, including their body movement, swing, positioning, and technique, and provides real-time feedback on how to improve. Our technology is hardware agnostic so it works in tandem with video footage from mobile phones, court cameras, or broadcast feeds. It’s a B2B solution for use by teams, broadcasters, training facilities, retailers and equipment brands. By comparing an athlete’s technique to thousands of other players, including professionals, we can provide personalized and actionable insights for how to improve their game or even what racket they should buy.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Pedersen and the team face in building the company? Pedersen acknowledged:
“The one challenge that I would like to highlight is the lack of female representation in the sportstech industry, and within the related investment community. This is something the whole industry needs to continue to work on. I love the industry and I want many other superwomen to join me in sportstech!”
Evolution Of SportAI’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Pedersen noted:
“In addition to technique analysis (which is our absolute passion and point of difference) we also see that we can add value by delivering automated game highlights, statistics and tactical analysis to add value for our customers.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Pedersen cited:
“Magnus Carlsen, a five-time World Chess Champion and a prominent AI user in chess, came onboard as an advisor and pre-seed investor. Another major milestone was raising our $1.8 million seed round, led by Skyfall Ventures. But perhaps the biggest moment was signing our first major commercial contract with MATCHi, the fastest growing platform for padel and racket sports globally.”
Customer Success Stories
When asking Pedersen about customer success stories, she highlighted:
“Earlier in September, we announced our partnership with MATCHi, a leading platform for racket sports with over 1M users across 30 countries. This collaboration enables players to access our AI-powered insights directly from their court sessions, providing real-time analysis to help improve their game. By integrating with MATCHi’s infrastructure, we will make professional-level technique analysis available to a much broader audience of tennis and padel players worldwide.”
Funding
When asking Pedersen about the company’s funding details, she revealed:
“As mentioned earlier, we raised $1.8 million in a seed round in August 2024, led by Skyfall Ventures, with participation from investors like ex-pro tennis player Dekel Valtzer, Sverre Munck, and Norwegian pension fund MP Pensjon. This funding is primarily being used to scale our technology and grow our presence in the market.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Pedersen assessed:
“The global AI in sports market is projected to reach $29.7 billion by 2032. SportAI is positioning itself to capture a share of this market, especially in the training, equipment and broadcasting sectors. In the coming years, as we expand into other sports like golf, baseball, and cricket, our TAM will continue to grow.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Pedersen affirmed:
“Our focus on technique analysis through AI is what sets us apart. Many companies focus on tactical analysis or game strategy, but SportAI hones in on the biomechanics of sports, providing data-driven, personalized feedback to improve performance. Our platform is also hardware-agnostic, which makes it highly scalable and accessible to a wide audience, from amateur athletes to elite professionals.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Pedersen concluded:
“In the near term, we’re focused on scaling our technology and onboarding more commercial clients. We’re also looking to explore partnerships with broadcasters to enhance live commentary and fan engagement as well as partnerships with sporting equipment companies, to offer AI-powered insights when it comes to choosing the right racket or equipment for a player’s style of play.”
