SportIQ, a Helsinki-based sportstech startup known for its smart basketballs and data-driven shooting software, has been selected for the NBA Launchpad program, a six-month initiative designed to support emerging technologies in sports. The program will provide SportIQ with access to NBA resources to refine its technology, which already tracks player shooting performance using sensors in the basketball. The technology provides insights into shooting technique, angle, power, and accuracy. As part of the partnership, SportIQ will work on expanding its technology’s applications to improve officiating accuracy, with the potential to influence not just basketball but other sports as well. This partnership offers SportIQ a platform to develop its products and explore new opportunities for integrating advanced technology into sports.
SportIQ focuses on developing smart basketballs and data-driven software to track and analyze shooting performance. The company’s technology utilizes sensors embedded in the basketball to measure key aspects of a player’s shot, including position, power, angle, and technique. This data is sent to a mobile app that uses AI to provide insights and feedback to users. With over 25 patents and millions of shots tracked, SportIQ’s technology is used to help players at various skill levels improve their game. While currently centered on basketball, the company’s sensor technology has potential applications in other sports as well.
The NBA Launchpad program is the league’s initiative to pilot emerging technologies to progress the sport and the NBA’s business priorities. SportIQ’s smart basketball, already sold in tens of thousands directly to consumers, accurately tracks every shot a player makes, giving insights that inform training programs and individual player development. Each year, the NBA selects five emerging technology companies for the program, culminating in SportIQ presenting its developments to NBA executives, partners, and investors during the NBA Summer League 2025.
The NBA Launchpad program creates an opportunity for SportIQ to improve the on-court product by using technology to automate objective calls, allowing officials to focus on the more challenging calls requiring expert judgment.
“The NBA Launchpad program sets the standard for innovation in basketball technology and provides a platform to work with the premier basketball league – an organization with unmatched global influence. Being selected for this program is a tremendous honor for our team. It not only connects us with industry leaders but also enables us to demonstrate a groundbreaking use case for our technology. This opens the door to exciting new business model opportunities and impact in the basketball world,” says Erik Anderson, CEO of SportIQ.
The NBA is seeking technologies that can improve call accuracy, streamline the viewing experience, and increase decision-making transparency with an emphasis on finding new sensing modalities (e.g., cameras, IMU, LiDAR, radar, depth sensors, ultrasonic sensors) and AI/ML software tools to assist with model development, and 3D visualization engines to recreate plays from the data.
SportIQ aims to expand its product lines and technological capabilities to increase the possible revenue streams and usage cases. Basketball is just a starting point, as SportIQ’s sensor technology can be fitted into any kind of ball used in recreational and professional sports.
The patented smart basketball has a sensor in the ball’s valve that tracks a player’s shooting performance. The ball feeds data about shooting position, power, angle, and technique, amongst other things, to the mobile app, which then uses AI technology to analyze the data and give players direct feedback on how to improve their performance.
To date, SportIQ has already tracked over 20 million shots, helps players improve their shooting accuracy by 15% with regular use, and the company holds over 25 patents on its technology. SportIQ’s smart basketballs are available online, and already today, the company sells tens of thousands of smart basketballs to consumers annually.
“We’ve had an incredible journey so far, and now, being selected for the NBA Launchpad program, we show that the future of basketball is in having the right technology available for players of all ages and abilities. If all goes well, we are soon ready to expand to new markets and sports,” Anderson concludes.
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/sportiq-selected-for-nba-launchpad/
