Zero Genie

Sports technology firm Playermaker are planning further global expansion after securing an unprecedented $10 million in funding from from Singapore venture capital firm FengHe Group.

This Series B round represents one of the largest funding rounds for a football performance company in history.

Playermaker’s flagship device uses a sensor strapped to a player’s boot to monitor technical, tactical, biomechanical and physical data from each athlete.

This marks the latest progression for the Israeli firm which has enjoyed rapid growth this year, including involvement from legendary manager Arsene Wenger and a raft of new teams signed up to use their devices.

On the investment, PlayerMaker CEO and Co-founder Guy Aharon said “This investment will enhance our ability to deliver further at scale for our international customers across Europe, Asia and the Americas without compromising the high quality of service that our customers have come to expect.

“FengHe have understood our mission to enhance the quality of football worldwide from the beginning and have shown consistently that they are as keen to be a part of the journey.

“I am proud to lead a team that is committed to helping all players become champions. We are starting with football, but it’s just a first step – our goal is to improve all athletes’ performance though smart, connected footwear regardless of where they are in the world.”

The next step for Playermaker is to continue their reach into international leagues with the aim of establishing themselves in major football leagues around the world.

FengHe have a record of technology investment, with founding partner and chairman John Wu serving as chief architect at Yahoo during the 1990s and was later chief technology officer of Alibaba.

Wu said “The potential growth in front of PlayerMaker is substantial. We have been impressed by the company’s traction across the world, as well as the wide-ranging partnership opportunities in their pipeline.”

The Argentina Olympic team have also agreed a partnership with Playermaker ahead of Tokyo 2022, meaning the company is currently active in 10 countries.

A raft of professional clubs including Fulham, Millwall, Manchester City, Norwich City, Crystal Palace, Hull City, Club America, Toronto FC, Atlanta United are also currently using the device in training.

Luciano Nakis, AFA Delegate to National Teams said: ‘We are very impressed with the data PlayerMaker’s device offers us. The possibility of being able to analyse the performance of the players we are training gives coaches an important tool to direct the team and the anticipated results.’