Prague-based Eyeball.Club, a B2B SaaS sports tech company, announced on Wednesday that it has secured €5M in a Seed funding round led by Vendep Capital with participation from Sportlogiq, Heartland, and Founderment.
The Czech company will use the funds to fuel its expansion into key U.S. and Latin American markets, as well as further improve its technology capabilities across the platform.
“We’ve seen a three-fold increase in revenue in 2024, and this latest funding round is a strong validation of our vision to redefine how talent is scouted across the globe, by top clubs,” says Manfred Lerley, CEO and Co-founder of Eyeball.Club.
This seed round will help Eyeball.Club grows and improves its technology for recruiting young talent in professional football.
“We are empowering clubs to access a broader talent pool with data-driven insights that were previously unavailable,” adds Lerley.
Eyeball.Club: Digitising the scouting process through AI
Founded in 2020, Eyeball.Club’s platform digitises the scouting process through AI-powered data analytics, offering insights into player performance and potential to the clubs.
The company’s platform is built on full-match video and uses computer vision AI, data analytics, and video analysis to give clubs a complete view of up-and-coming talent across various markets and continents.
Eyeball currently operates in 28 countries, profiles over 160,000 young players, and has partnerships across 100+ professional clubs.
This includes the majority of Premier League and Ligue One clubs, as well as over 50 per cent of both the German Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A.
Players who have been identified through Eyeball.Club’s platform includes:
- 18-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder Abdoulaye Kanté, moved from FC Montfermeil to ESTAC (Troyes), which is part of the City Football Group.
- 17-year-old Norwegian winger Daniel Skaarud, was spotted playing for Norwegian side Lillestrøm before transferring to Ajax’s academy.
- 19-year-old Ivory Coast defender Assane Ouedraogo, moved from the Ivory Coast club FC San Pedro to the MLS club Charlotte FC.
According to Lerley, “Our Mission is clear; it is not just about finding the best talent; it’s about equipping clubs with the digital tools they need to future-proof their recruitment processes by building and securing a reliable pipeline of young talent. Whether it’s expanding scouting networks into new regions or leveraging AI-driven insights, we’re creating a new paradigm in sports tech.”
In addition to the company’s elite-level global club partners, they also have partnerships with National Federations and Governing Bodies, further solidifying the company’s position as a leader in sports technology innovation.
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