TAYLOR’S TAKE ON THE WEEK IN SPORTS TECH: Can better tackling make football safer? That’s the thesis behind Atavus Football, a Seattle-based startup that uses data analytics and rugby fundamentals to help football players with their tackling technique. The company scored a big win this week after the Texas High School Coaches Association picked Atavus to oversee the certification process for a new mandatory statewide tackling certification program. Atavus encourages players to make contact with their shoulder, keeping their head out of the tackle. The company’s “Tacklytics” platform uses video and data analysis to help coaches understand how well their players are… Read More
[Love sports and technology? Sign up for our sports tech newsletter to receive this rundown from GeekWire’s Taylor Soper via email every week.] TAYLOR’S TAKE ON THE WEEK IN SPORTS TECH: The big sports news in Seattle this week was all about Key Arena and the potential arrival of professional hockey. The Seattle City Council and new Mayor Jenny Durkan approved a new $660 million deal to renovate Key Arena, which served home to the Seattle Supersonics before the NBA franchise left to Oklahoma City in 2008. Various reports this week noted that the process for NHL expansion to Seattle has already started, allowing… Read More
[Love sports and technology? Sign up for our sports tech newsletter to receive this rundown from GeekWire’s Taylor Soper via email every week.] TAYLOR’S TAKE ON THE WEEK IN SPORTS TECH: Vicis, the high-tech football helmet maker based in Seattle, had several key developments this week. The company announced an additional $7 million in funding, and has now raised nearly $50 million since spinning out of the University of Washington in 2014. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson participated in the funding round — Wilson, who also just launched his own media startup, is among a group of players from more than 15 NFL teams and 20… Read More
[Love sports and technology? Sign up for our sports tech newsletter to receive this rundown from GeekWire’s Taylor Soper via email every week.] TAYLOR’S TAKE ON THE WEEK IN SPORTS TECH: The NBA has tapped a Seattle startup to lower the cost of its travel expenses. Founded in 2007, Yapta’s technology helps corporate travelers snag cheaper airfare and hotel rates. The startup has raised $25 million to date and was just named to Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 list. One of the company’s 6,500 customers is the NBA, which uses Yapta to save travel costs for both employees across its 13 offices worldwide, and for players… Read More
[Love sports and technology? Sign up for our sports tech newsletter to receive this rundown from GeekWire’s Taylor Soper via email every week.] TAYLOR’S TAKE ON THE WEEK IN SPORTS TECH: I don’t start many stories talking about my sore butt, but it seemed appropriate for my review of electronic muscle stimulation (EMS) exercise technology. I spent several weeks testing EMS, which consists of wearing a wireless vest with 16 nodes that buzz your muscles during a 20-minute full-body workout. I definitely felt stronger after a few sessions and I liked not having to go lift weights at a gym. The one… Read More
