SwingVision – a company on a mission to democratize the professional sports experience for athletes of all levels – recently announced a $6 million Series A financing round led by Authentic Ventures, along with pro tennis stars Lindsay Davenport, Alison Riske and Rohan Bopanna, Youssef Es-skouri of Dropbox, and Glenn Solomon of GGV Capital. This new funding round will unlock critical hires to build tournament-grade officiating and remote coaching capabilities into the platform and to expand beyond tennis into pickleball and padel.
The company was founded in 2019 by tech industry veterans Swupnil Sahai (Autopilot team at Tesla) and Richard Hsu (Cisco and LinkedIn) to create the most accurate single-camera solution for AI object tracking. And SwingVision’s AI-powered mobile app transforms video captured from users’ iPhone or iPad cameras to deliver automated stats, highlights, and officiating. With a focus on the tennis industry and its 23.6 million players across the U.S., SwingVision will soon expand to serve America’s fastest-growing sport, pickleball. Introduction into additional racket sports, like padel, is also on the product roadmap.
The new Series A investors are joining a sophisticated team of existing investors, including pro tennis stars Andy Roddick and James Blake, Techstars, Sony Innovation Fund, Wildcard Ventures, Tennis Australia, Albert Lee of MyFitnessPal, Jason Liu of Strava, Jordan Mendell of DraftKings, and James Musk of Tesla.
Along with individual athletes of all levels, SwingVision is used by more than 100 D1 college tennis teams across the U.S., including Harvard University, Stanford University, Texas Christian University, University of Florida, and Yale University – to level up their game for a competitive advantage.
How SwingVision Operates
SwingVision offers automated stats, highlights, and officiating from video captured from players’ iPhones or iPads. And using its patent-pending object-tracking AI, SwingVision automatically tracks the ball trajectory in 3D using just the users’ device to generate pro-quality stats, highlights, and line calls. As a result, athletes of all levels can elevate their game.
To use the service, athletes simply point their device at the court and start recording, and SwingVision’s AI processes video in real-time. And players can challenge calls instantly from their device or Apple Watch and review stats and highlights immediately. Along with the SwingVision app, users can record like a pro with SwingVision’s Swing Stick and securely attach their device to any fence.
Using SwingVision, players:
— Get automated statistics and line calling
— Settle disputes on the court using real-time line challenges
— Import/analyze videos recorded outside of the app
— Get TV-quality video highlights they can share with family and friends
— Identify their strengths, improve their weaknesses, and scout their opponent
— Analyze their rally construction to maximize their chance of winning points
KEY QUOTES:
“When I was first introduced to SwingVision, I was immediately impressed by the technology. The team’s innovative use of AI to help tennis athletes improve their game is extraordinary, and the opportunity to go beyond tennis is promising. I’m very excited to support SwingVision as the team continues to pioneer what’s next for athletes everywhere.”
— Lindsay Davenport, former pro tennis star who ranked World No.1 for 98 weeks and won three Grand Slam titles
“Back when I was trying to go pro, having access to SwingVision’s automated highlights and stats would have been revolutionary. I’m excited for this next phase as the team tries to solve the challenge of line calling for all players, whether they’re competitive juniors or recreational adults. It’s going to completely change the game.”
— Andy Roddick, former pro tennis star who ranked World No.1 and won the 2003 US Open title
“Until SwingVision, tennis players had to spend thousands of dollars and set up half a dozen cameras to capture their stats. Using our proprietary, advanced object tracking technology, we’ve created a product that is intuitive, accurate and affordable. And tennis players love it. This infusion of capital will unlock our vision to build a category-leading, multi-sport platform that will eventually become the primary way all athletes record, share, and improve their game.”
— Swupnil Sahai, Co-Founder and CEO of SwingVision
“SwingVision has established its dominance as the market leader in computer vision for sports on mobile devices. The founders have assembled an incredible team and built a product that customers love. Swupnil and Richard have very strong technical backgrounds and a passion for tennis, which has translated into an accurate, easy-to-use product that uses sophisticated AI technology. We think there is a large, global opportunity for SwingVision to leverage their beachhead in racket sports to change the way technology is used by amateurs and pro athletes alike. We are excited to support SwingVision’s mission of democratizing the professional sports experience for athletes of all levels.”
— Lindsay Lee, Founder and Managing Partner of Authentic Ventures
