UCD spin-out Output Sports raises €4.47m in funding
30 January 2025
Dr Martin O'Reilly, Dr Darragh Whelan, Julian Eberle and Elizabeth Kinsella-Kent of Output Sports Credit: Naoise Culhane Photography
(opens in a new window)Output Sports, a UCD sports technology spin-out company, has raised $4.8 million (€4.47 million) in funding from investors.
The company has created a single wearable sensor system that enables strength and conditioning coaches, sport scientists and rehab professionals to capture and analyse athletic data.
Its funding includes new support from APEX Capital, Uni.Fund and Dopamine Sports, as well as existing investors Elkstone, Atlantic Bridge and Enterprise Ireland. The financing also features a number of angel investors including Jim Kelliher, former CFO of Drift and LogMeIn.
Having recently opened an office in Boston, Output Sports will use the capital to accelerate US expansion and hire new staff in sales, marketing, product development, data science and customer support roles.
A spin-out from the UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science and
the (opens in a new window)Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics, Output Sports is headquartered at NovaUCD. The company was co-founded in 2020 by CEO Dr Martin O’Reilly, Dr Darragh Whelan, Julian Eberle and Professor Brian Caulfield.
“Our team has worked hard to build a platform that meets the needs of some of the world’s leading sports teams – such as New Zealand’s All Blacks, England’s national soccer team and the Colorado Buffaloes – and delivers meaningful value through data,” said Dr O’Reilly.
“This investment will help us support our growth in the US, deepen our technology capabilities and grow our team to support our increasing customer base.”
Output Sports provides more than 800 sports organisations, including over half of all English Premier League clubs, with the insights needed to make more informed, data-backed decisions to improve athletic performance.
Its technology also played a key role in multiple medal-winning performances at the 2024 Olympic Games, including Daniel Wiffen’s record-breaking gold in swimming for Ireland and Zheng Qinwen’s tennis gold for China.
The company has worked with multiple championship-winning teams across the US major sports leagues, as well as the national teams in soccer and rugby sevens.
Output Sports aims to reach 100 million recorded exercise repetitions in 2025, and become a widely used resource for strength, power and movement assessment.
“At APEX, we invest in the future of sport,” said Koen Bosma, Head of Venture Capital at APEX Capital.
“Off-field measurement and driving competition in the gym are key to success for sports organisations, and Output Sports is best in class in this crucial part of the sports tech stack.”
By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations (with materials from Micéal Whelan, UCD Research and Innovation)
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
