AI Innovation Focus: Hardware, Wearables & IoT

Wearable and IoT technologies in sports are driving personalized performance insights, reducing inefficiencies, and unlocking new fan experiences. The startups below demonstrate how AI-embedded hardware can power elite athlete development, enhance spectator immersion, and streamline commercial processes.

Zatap (https://zatap.io/)

What they do:

• Phygital Product Cloud Platform – Connects physical merchandise (tagged with NFC/QR codes) to personalized digital experiences via smartphone taps 
• Product authentication & brand protection – Verifies authenticity, fights counterfeits, and establishes secure ownership using blockchain-backed digital passports 
• Interactive fan engagement & loyalty – Turns items (like scarves, jerseys) into tickets, exclusive-content portals, or loyalty triggers, enabling interactive in-stadium or post-purchase experiences 
• Data & CRM integration – Delivers first-party consumer data and analytics, enabling personalized marketing campaigns, deeper brand connections, and new monetization channels 
• Support for sustainability & circular commerce – Facilitates secondary market trading, digital warranties, and product lifecycle tracking aligned with digital product passport standards

Why it matters: ZATAP bridges the physical and digital worlds at scale by empowering brands, sports teams, and luxury goods companies to enrich merchandise with dynamic experiences and secure authentication. By embedding NFC or QR tags into real-world products, ZATAP transforms static items into “living” digital channels for storytelling, loyalty programs, and secure access such as ticketing. This not only enhances fan engagement and drives sponsor or brand monetization, but also combats counterfeits and supports sustainability through transparent digital product passports. In essence, ZATAP helps turn everyday products into powerful tools for brand-building, consumer trust, and circular economy innovation.

Soccerment (https://soccerment.com/)

What they do:

• AI-driven football analytics platform: Offers xvalue.ai, which provides advanced metrics, match previews/reports, player clustering, and smart scouting tools powered by generative AI 
• Smart wearable tech (XSEED): FIFA‑approved smart shin guards with built-in sensors to track sprints, touches, passes, acceleration, etc., without the need for external cameras or GPS vests 
• Comprehensive data ecosystem: Integrates wearable data and third-party feeds into dashboards for physical, technical, and tactical analysis, enhancing player and team performance insights 
• Scouting & talent ID: Uses AI-powered scouting tools and performance databases to discover talent, create shortlists, and benchmark players against professionals 
• Consulting & adoption support: Partners with clubs and leagues (e.g., MLS Innovation Lab) to drive analytics adoption, implement data-driven decision-making, and improve scouting, player development, injury prevention, and fan & financial outcomes
  

Why it matters: In modern football, raw statistics aren’t enough. Soccerment closes the gap by blending real-time wearable insights with AI-fueled analytics and scouting tools, empowering clubs, coaches, and analysts, from grassroots to professional tiers, to make smarter, objective decisions. By facilitating data-driven tactics, talent discovery, and player growth, Soccerment helps teams reduce bias, optimize performance, and remain competitive in an increasingly analytical world. It’s more than just numbers; it’s reshaping football infrastructure from the pitch to the boardroom.

Shoefitr.io (https://shoefitr.io)

What they do:

• AI‑powered foot-scanning web app: Users scan their feet with any mobile device, no paper or specialized equipment, enabling real-time measurement and size suggestions
• Robot and 3D insights: A proprietary robot captures internal shoe-last geometry; combined with user foot data, it generates customized insoles and lasts for precise fits
• E‑commerce integration: Their software integrates directly into online stores via API or button, delivering live size advice to shoppers and enhancing the purchase experience.
• Return reduction & profit boost: By matching foot shape to shoe internal dimensions, retailers report up to 20% fewer returns, higher conversion rates, and lower logistics costs
• Sustainability & manufacturing feedback: The data-driven approach not only reduces carbon footprint by minimizing returns but also provides manufacturers with volume and shrinkage insights to improve shoe production
  

Why it matters: Shoefitr.io tackles the long-standing pain point of footwear misfits in e-commerce and sports; an issue that leads to high return rates, customer frustration, and wasteful practices. By combining advanced AI foot-scanning, precise 3D shoe-last measurement, and seamless online integration, they empower retailers and manufacturers to offer personalized, accurate fitting recommendations. This not only improves customer satisfaction and loyalty but also drives down return-related losses and carbon emissions. Moreover, the rich dataset informs better manufacturing standards, fostering a smarter, sustainable footwear economy.

Mindfly (https://www.mindfly.live/)

What they do:

• AI-powered wearable bodycams: They’ve developed ultralight, jersey-wearable cameras that capture first-person POV video and audio from athletes and referees in real-time 
• Live broadcast integration: Up to four bodycams can stream live to OB vans with low latency (~100 ms) via HD-SDI, enabling real-time feeds for TV and digital platforms 
• Intelligent video processing: Their cloud-based AI automatically stabilizes footage, directs multi-cam angles, applies slow-mo upscaling to 4K, and generates highlight clips tailored to different platforms
• End-to-end platform: From vest-mounted capture to AI editing, cloud processing, and publishing, MindFly offers broadcasters, leagues, clubs, and sponsors a seamless content pipeline 
• Trusted by major leagues: Deployed in NCAA football, NBA All-Star, NHL tournaments, Bundesliga, EuroLeague, and partnered with ESPN, FOX, UFL, FC Bayern, and more
  

Why it matters: MindFly.live transforms sports viewing by placing fans inside the action, literally. Instead of static sideline or aerial shots, viewers experience the game from the heartbeat of the moment: the player’s or referee’s view. Their AI-driven system not only makes this immersive content possible, but also scalable and broadcast-ready without extra crews. This empowers broadcasters and leagues to offer fresh, emotionally potent angles that boost engagement, attract younger audiences, and create new storytelling opportunities that redefine how live sports are filmed, broadcasted, and monetized.

Fanplay IoT (https://fanplayiot.com)

What they do:

• Sports IoT platform that connects fans, athletes, teams, and trainers through wearable sensors and smart devices 
• Wearables + data analytics, delivering real‑time performance insights during training and games 
• Phygital fan engagement, merging physical and digital experiences e.g., cheers, fitness tracking, and rewards via mobile app 
• Multi‑segment reach, from kids and amateur athletes to professionals and sports‑loyals, spanning health, training, and entertainment.
• AI‑powered backbone (“FanNeuro™”), enhancing personalized experiences and bridging stakeholders across the sports ecosystem

Why it matters: FanPlay IoT is pioneering the fusion of sports, health, and digital engagement by leveraging IoT and AI. By providing actionable data to athletes and immersive interaction to fans, they’re changing how performances are measured and experienced. This not only boosts athletic excellence through precise analytics but also deepens fan loyalty and benefits that teams, fitness trainers, and event organizers can all harness to create more vibrant, connected sports communities

SonicBone (https://www.sonicbonemedical.com/)

What they do:

• Develops BAUSport™, a portable, AI-powered, ultrasound device to assess skeletal age and biological maturation in youth athletes; non-invasively and radiation-free, using scans of the hand in ~4 minutes 
• Predicts final adult height, peak growth velocity, and maturation stages to aid sports scientists and medical practitioners in planning athlete development programs 
• Facilitates bio-banding, reducing selection bias by grouping athletes according to biological age rather than chronological, helping late bloomers get equitable opportunities 
• Helps prevent injuries, by identifying periods of high maturation-related risk, enabling coaches to adjust training loads accordingly 
• Clinically validated, with studies showing its ultrasound bone-age readings are comparable to X-ray methods
  

Why it matters: SonicBone’s BAUSport™ addresses a critical blind spot in athlete development: the hidden biological age behind each young athlete’s performance. Traditional youth sports systems are structured around chronological age, which doesn’t account for individual growth variations. By providing precise, radiation-free insights into skeletal maturity and growth trajectories, this technology empowers coaches and medical teams to design safer training regimens, reduce injury risk, and ensure late developers are not overlooked. Ultimately, it helps level the playing field, unlocks athletic potential more responsibly, and supports healthier long‑term athlete growth.

Key Insights

• AI-powered wearables and hardware are no longer just tracking tools, they are active agents in real-time performance, injury prevention, and talent development, from youth to elite sports.
• Phygital experiences are redefining fan engagement by merging physical products with interactive, personalized digital touchpoints, turning merchandise into smart engagement tools (Zatap, FanPlay).
• Athlete-centric innovations like SonicBone and Soccerment are removing guesswork from coaching by replacing visual intuition with objective, developmental, and biometric data.
• Immersive broadcast technology from platforms like MindFly is unlocking entirely new revenue streams and fan experiences by bringing viewers directly into the athlete’s perspective.
• Sustainability and personalization are key drivers, solutions like Shoefitr.io not only cut waste through accurate sizing but also inform better manufacturing and retail strategies.

Conclusion

The convergence of AI, wearables, and IoT in sports is rapidly reshaping the ecosystem; from how fans connect with teams to how athletes are discovered, trained, and protected. What unites these innovations is their ability to deliver precision, personalization, and scale across performance, commerce, and engagement. The future of sports tech is not just digital, but deeply human, data-smart, and physically connected. As these tools become mainstream, expect a shift where hardware isn’t just a supporting actor but a central interface between the game, the athlete, and the audience.

Final Word

Together, these startups push the frontier in how the sports industry monetizes every aspect of its ecosystem; from fractional sponsorships and smart ticketing to AI-backed content and loyal fan communities.

Ready to elevate your coaching and athlete-care toolkit? Contact HYPE Sports Innovation to experience any of these solutions firsthand.