Business

Output Sports raises €4.47m to develop elite sports science tech

It works with more than 800 sports organisations to provide data-backed insights to improve athletic performance

From left to right: Dr Darragh Whelan, co-founder and chief operating officer of Output Sports; Dr Martin O'Reilly, co-founder and chief executive; Julian Eberle, co-founder and chief technology officer; Liz Kinsella, head of sports science.
From left to right: Dr Darragh Whelan, co-founder and chief operating officer of Output Sports; Dr Martin O'Reilly, co-founder and chief executive; Julian Eberle, co-founder and chief technology officer; Liz Kinsella, head of sports science.
Ciara O'Brien
Thu Jan 30 2025 - 05:00

Irish sports technology company Output Sports has raised $4.8 million (€4.47 million) in funding to boost its US expansion and increase staff numbers.

The funding includes new supporters such as Apex Capital, Uni.Fund and Dopamine Sports, with existing investors Elkstone, Atlantic Bridge and Enterprise Ireland also participating. The round also saw the backing of angel investors, including LogMeIn’s Jim Kelliher.

The company plans to hire across sales, marketing, product development, data science and customer support.

Output Sports, which was spun out of UCD, is aiming to make elite-level sports science simple and scalable. Co-founded by Dr Martin O’Reilly, Dr Darragh Whelan, Julian Eberle and Prof Brian Caulfield, its technology captures and analyses athletic data through a single wearable sensor system.

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It works with more than 800 sports organisations to provide data-backed insights to improve athletic performance, including more than half of all English Premier League clubs, and supported the Olympic medal-winning performances of swimmer Daniel Wiffen and tennis player Zheng Qinwen.

“Output Sports is committed to developing data-driven insights that support coaches and athletes,” said Dr O’Reilly.

“Our team has worked hard to build a platform that meets the needs of some of the world’s leading sports teams such as New Zealand’s All Blacks and England’s national soccer team and delivers meaningful value through data. This investment will help us support our growth in the US, deepen our technology capabilities, and grow our team to support our increasing customer base.”

Output Sports has already opened a US office, locating itself in Boston, and has begun working with US sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS and the WNBA.

“Since Elkstone first invested in Output Sports at seed stage, we have seen the founders build an incredible roster of well-known customers across the sports world,” said Niall McEvoy, head of venture at Elkstone. “As the team continues to put data-driven insights at the centre of athlete development, we are proud to reaffirm our support alongside strong international co-investors.”

The company is tapping into a market that is currently worth an estimated €13.1 billion, and is predicted to increase by more than 20 per cent before the end of the decade. Key to this growth is the demand for biometric tracking and analysis tools, virtual and augmented reality, and AI integration.

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Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist

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