26th January 2022
Output Sports, an Irish start-up that helps elite sports teams monitor the performance and condition of their athletes, is seeking to raise up to €6 million by the third quarter of this year in a bid to expand its global operations and capitalise on a growing US market.
The University College Dublin (UCD) spin-out has been operational for just two years, but it already counts Premier League clubs and top GAA outfits in its growing clutch of clients.
Founded by Martin O’Reilly, Darragh Whelan, Julian Eberle and Brian Caulfield, the Enterprise Ireland-backed company currently employs ten staff, but is hoping to grow to a team of 26 by the end of the year according to O’Reilly, who holds a PhD on the use of motion sensors to track and reduce injury rates.
“This year is a really big one in terms of growing out our operations,” he said. “We’re putting in place new partnerships, we want to hire around six people in the US market, and we’ll continue to invest in Europe as well.”
Output claims to act as a “Swiss army knife” for sports teams and athletes, measuring every aspect of a sportsperson’s performance using data analytic software and machine learning technology.
“We measure your strength, flexibility, power and agility,” O’Reilly said. “Any number of facets of your fitness that traditionally required lots of different lab-based tools, we’ve shrunk into a single wearable sensor system. Our motivation is to make elite-level sports science much more simple and much more scalable.”
Sports tech is a growing market, and new technologies are constantly emerging to digitise many aspects of athletic performance. But the founders of Output believe its heavy emphasis on research and data collection sets it apart from the pack.
“What differentiates us most is the amount of research that goes into our analysis, and therefore our accuracy and reliability,” O’Reilly said. “We have a huge diversity of measurement in terms of an athlete’s levels, and then also the accuracy of those measurements sets us apart.”
The firm has already established a flagship partnership with the English FA and works with clubs such as Burnley and Norwich on tracking their players. It also has a partnership with the Limerick senior hurlers.
O’Reilly now watches athletes on TV who he knows are using Output’s software behind the scenes, which is a “pretty amazing feeling”.
Output also works with sporting organisations further afield, and aims to grow its brand recognition around the world.
“We have clients in about 20 countries now, which is really exciting,” O’Reilly said. “I’m just back from a visit to the US, and the level of opportunity out there is huge.”
The business is now working with Les Spellman, one of America’s best speed performance coaches, who last year trained the number one and two overall picks in the NFL draft.
“We’re launching a product called Speed Lab, which uses Output measurements and then gives other coaches access to Les’s training plans and expertise. Our measurements then inform the personalisation of each athlete’s training plan remotely,” O’Reilly said.
Source: Business Post
Image source: Fergal Phillips