ShotTracker raises $10.4M round featuring former NBA Commissioner David Stern
May 16, 2018 | Bobby Burch
Merriam-based ShotTracker is fueling its global expansion via a large funding round featuring several high-profile investors.
The sports tech company announced Wednesday that it raised a $10.4 million Series A financing round led by Ward.Ventures, NBA commissioner David Stern and two-time National League home run champion, Ryan Howard. The round also includes Greycroft, Elysian Ventures, KC Rise Fund, Irish Angels and SeventySix Capital.
ShotTracker co-founders Davyeon Ross and Bruce Ianni.
The injection of new capital brings ShotTracker’s total funding to more than $21 million, which includes an investment by NBA legend, Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
ShotTracker’s TEAM system tracks multiple players with an array of sensors — secured to each player, within each Spalding basketball, and in the rafters — plotting the games’ shots in real time.
ShotTracker will use the funding for growth and scalability to increase installations in courts around the United States and to solidify global partnership opportunities, said Davyeon Ross, co-founder and COO of ShotTracker.
“This additional funding allows ShotTracker to execute on its vision and accelerate the proliferation of our product across the market,” said Ross. “Whether you’re a fan, a player, a coach, a broadcaster or a market maker – ShotTracker is changing the overall experience of the game. There are significant changes happening in sports and ShotTracker is poised to capitalize on those industry changes with its real-time data.”
In March, the company released its new ShotTracker fan app for the Division 1 NAIA basketball tournament. The app combines real-time analytics with augmented reality in a first-of-its-kind fan engagement tool that displays game and player information on fans’ smartphones.
ShotTracker recently earned a bronze Edison Award in the category of “Digitized Data.” The tech is being used by the University of Kansas, the University of Oklahoma, TCU, Baylor and several other top collegiate basketball programs.
ShotTracker was co-founded by Ross and Bruce Ianni. To learn more about the firm, check out the video below.
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
KCRise Fund invests in PEQ and Dunami
The KCRise Fund announced two investments in area firms Thursday to round out its 2016. Launched in February in conjunction with the KC Rising economic initiative, the KCRise Fund joined ongoing investment rounds in tech firms PEQ and Dunami. Kansas City-based PEQ is an Internet of Things service enabler that created an operating system for…
Missouri job growth among the best in the U.S.
Missouri job growth among the best in the U.S. In 2016, the Show Me State gained 57,100 jobs — a figure that topped all 8 of Missouri’s neighboring states. In addition to job growth, Missouri’s unemployment rate decreased .4 percent during the past month, according to a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor…
‘Nerds’ want to retool Kansas City nonprofits’ websites
‘Tis the season to help your fellow man — and their website. That seems to be the driving force behind a volunteer-led program to improve the digital presence of several Kansas City nonprofits. The Nerdery and its foundation will host the Overnight Website Challenge, which over the years has tapped hundreds of volunteers to complete…
Chris Brown: How to split equity in your startup
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. This article is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Readers with legal questions should consult an attorney. When founding a new startup it is common to have disagreements over how much equity each founder should receive. In this post, we will…