Playfulvision
Automatic real-time, video analytics and statistics for team-sports at all levels.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
* | N/A | Acquisition | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
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PlayfulVision emerged in 2014 as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), founded by Dr. Horesh Ben Shitrit and Professor Pascal Fua. The company specialized in computer vision and machine learning, developing a patented, vision-based object tracking technology tailored for team sports. Its core business was providing real-time, automatic video analytics and statistics, a service previously accessible only to major leagues. The technology captured detailed data points such as the 3D position and speed of the ball, along with player fitness, skills, and team tactics.
The system utilized optical trackers that record the coordinates of every player and the ball 25 times per second, enabling in-depth analysis of game elements like body position, shots, and rebounds. This data was intended to offer profound insights for fans, commentators, and coaches, effectively making invisible aspects of the game visible and quantifiable. The goal was to transform the fan experience and provide a valuable tool for teams to adapt strategies and training.
In September 2015, just over a year after its inception, PlayfulVision was acquired by Second Spectrum. Following the acquisition, the company became a research and development center for Second Spectrum in Switzerland, continuing its focus on computer vision. A significant milestone was achieved when it was announced in November 2016 that their technology would be utilized in all National Basketball Association (NBA) games starting in 2017, part of a seven-year deal secured by Second Spectrum. PlayfulVision no longer operates as an independent entity and has been fully integrated into Second Spectrum, which was subsequently acquired by Sportradar.
Keywords: computer vision, sports analytics, machine learning, object tracking, video analytics, team sports technology, player tracking, ball tracking, sports data, EPFL spin-off, Second Spectrum, Sportradar, basketball analytics, sports technology, real-time statistics, player performance, tactical analysis, augmented reality sports, sports data visualization, coaching tool