Pioneering program enters Year Two with six new companies – Edge Sound Research, OLIVER Sports, Soccerment, Sportlight, Lubu Technologies, and Wicket – advancing technology across the MLS ecosystem
NEW YORK (Sept. 30, 2024) – Major League Soccer (MLS) today announces the six companies selected for the second cohort of the MLS Innovation Lab. This pioneering initiative shapes the future of sports and continued growth of the League by identifying and nurturing cutting-edge startups and advanced technologies. The new cohort is poised to enhance MLS’ key priority areas of fan engagement, on-field player performance, and media technology.
MLS Innovation Lab was launched with six technology pioneers in the fall of 2023 as part of the League’s ongoing commitment to being at the forefront of technology in sports. After nine months of testing, select Innovation Lab companies were featured in the League’s first “Future of the Game Showcase” at the MLS All-Star Game in Columbus. Featuring live in-game demonstrations of pioneering technology, including advanced GPS player tracking, AI-powered real-time language dubbing, and an augmented reality fan experience.
In its second year, the program provides each company with the opportunity to test their innovative concepts in rigorous real-world environments throughout the MLS ecosystem, including MLS NEXT Fest, Generation adidas Cup, MLS NEXT Cup and the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by All-State. The first opportunity will take place in December at MLS NEXT Fest in California. Following all testing, select companies will be invited to present their capabilities to MLS executives and owners at the Second Annual “Future of the Game Showcase” during the 2025 MLS All-Star Game in Austin. Additionally, these companies will have the potential to secure long-term strategic partnerships and investment opportunities from the League. With thousands of matches each year across MLS NEXT Pro, MLS NEXT and MLS GO, participating companies will have unparalleled access to MLS’ expertise in an environment designed to accelerate their growth and impact.
“MLS continues to be at the forefront of innovation in global sports, The Innovation lab program provides an unparalleled opportunity for high performing companies to turbo-charge their growth, and to showcase their capabilities to the soccer world,” said Chris Schlosser, MLS SVP of Emerging Ventures. “We are very excited to partner with this group of excellent startups from around the world to co-create new ideas and push the boundaries in sports.”
After an extensive evaluation process that included hundreds of companies from around the world, the following have been chosen for the second MLS Innovation Lab cohort:
Edge Sound Research: EDGE Sound Research is a US-based company that is leading the way in multimodal audio technology for live entertainment venues and virtual environments. By enabling real-time automatic isolation of audio objects to create personalized and embodied experiences for diverse audiences, EDGE Sound Research is shaping a future where anyone can step into the world of their favorite athlete, musician, or movie/game character, experiencing unforgettable moments through the power of sound.
OLIVER Sports: Based in Spain, OLIVER Sports introduces the new generation of player performance monitoring technology, powered by AI to make elite-level data accessible for all soccer players and clubs. GPS trackers capture both athletic and soccer-specific metrics, including ball interactions. By delivering actionable insights, OLIVER Sports empowers coaches and players to enhance performance, reduce injuries, and optimize training.
Soccerment: Based in Italy, Soccerment is a sports technology company providing AI-driven data analytics tools and scalable tracking solutions to enhance performance analysis at all levels of soccer. Focusing on proprietary performance indicators and advanced metrics such as Expected Goals, Soccerment empowers clubs, academies, and individual players with deep insights. Its ecosystem includes two products: XSEED, smart shin guards that capture data; and XVALUE, the soccer analytics platform offering the most advanced metrics, optimizing match analysis and scouting.
Sportlight: Sportlight Technology is a UK-based sports tech startup revolutionizing athlete tracking and physical performance and injury risk management with its unique, patented LiDAR and AI technology. Sportlight’s wearable-free system offers elite sports organizations unparalleled accuracy and deeper insights – enhancing player development, injury risk analysis, and rehabilitation processes. Installed in major stadiums abroad and in the U.S., Sportlight is a trusted partner for elite sports teams and leagues.
Lubu: Lubu Technologies, based in Los Angeles, is developing AI-powered wearable technologies aimed at improving athletic performance and recovery. The company has created a footwear-focused solution that analyzes how the force of every step, sprint, and cut impacts performance and health. By tracking force impacts, cleat performance, and foot pressure during critical moments, Lubu offers athletes and coaches valuable insights to help optimize performance and enhance gameplay.
Wicket: Wicket is a facial authentication platform provider based in Cambridge, Mass. Its patented computer vision technology enables sensational event experiences at more than 40 stadiums around the U.S. and abroad. Wicket integrates with industry leaders to deliver a best-in-class guest experience with facial ticketing, payments, access control, and credentialing. A privacy-first company, Wicket’s products are opt-in only.
The MLS Innovation Lab is one of several initiatives demonstrating Major League Soccer’s commitment to creating the future of sports through cutting-edge technology and transformative concepts. As the first major sports league to enter into a global digital streaming agreement, MLS is now in the second season of its unprecedented 10-year partnership with Apple, which continues to reimagine how soccer fans consume matches. This landmark partnership launched the game-changing global streaming platform MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, which is aired in over 100 countries and regions with no blackouts and in multiple languages. Additionally, MLS has teamed up with the acclaimed and Emmy award-winning production company, Box to Box films, to develop an all-access docuseries for soccer fans and new audiences set to air in 2025.
For more information on MLS Innovation Lab, or to be considered for the program in the future, visit MLSsoccer.com/InnovationLab.
About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer -- celebrating its 29th season in 2024 -- features 30 clubs throughout the United States and Canada, including a new expansion team in San Diego that will debut in 2025. All MLS, Leagues Cup, and select MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches can be watched through MLS Season Pass, available on the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, and the web at tv.apple.com. MLS Season Pass features the most expansive and accessible lineup of programming ever for MLS fans. For more information about MLS, visit mlssoccer.com. For more information about the Apple TV app, visit apple.com/apple-tv-app.
