Many sports have been played for hundreds, even thousands, of years, but modern technology is changing the way today’s athletes perform both on and off the field. With small, low-cost electronics and computer-assisted analysis, athletes can step up their games in ways we could never have imagined — and fans can follow along better than ever, too.
While some of Chicago’s sports teams may not be known for winning (there’s always next year, right?), there are plenty of sports tech companies that are making athletes around the world better at what they do.
Top Sports Tech Companies in Chicago
- Stats Perform
- Blinkfire Analytics
- FastModel Sports
- Next College Student Athlete
- Rise
- Phenix
- SRAM, LLC
Top Sports Tech Companies in Chicago
FastModel Sports, a subsidiary of Hudl, offers a suite of software products — including FastDraw, FastScout and FastRecruit — that help coaches diagram plays, build scouting reports and manage recruiting across organizations like the NBA, WNBA, NCAA and youth leagues. The software enables coaches to quickly create and share play diagrams, analyze opponent strategies and streamline recruiting workflows.
Phenix delivers real-time video streaming to millions of viewers globally, enabling synchronized viewing for sports entertainment across all devices. The company powers interactive sports experiences for major events including the Super Bowl, Oscars and Cheltenham Festival, allowing broadcasters and sports properties to eliminate lag and provide secure streaming.
Stats Perform distributes sports data and content to broadcasters, media platforms, fantasy sports leagues and sportsbooks worldwide. The company collects and analyzes statistics across more than 20 sports using computer vision, automation and proprietary AI models, which help power fan engagement, editorial storytelling and team performance analysis.
SRAM manufactures bicycle components for mountain and road bikes, including shifters, derailleurs, brakes, chains and electronic groupsets. It developed Grip Shift technology and produces wireless electronic shifting for bikes through its AXS platform, which connects components and software to enable customizable shifting modes and battery monitoring through a dedicated app.
Blinkfire Analytics uses computer vision and machine learning to measure sponsorship performance and optimize media across brand channels. The company provides proprietary technology that helps sports organizations, teams, federations, players and brands quantify sponsorship exposure, fan engagement, brand awareness and influence.
NCSA College Recruiting operates the largest college athletic recruiting platform, connecting over 50,000 college coaches with student-athletes through its digital network. The platform helps middle and high school athletes build recruiting profiles, directly message coaches and search for colleges that match their academic and athletic goals. It also provides personalized recruiting coaching alongside developmental resources through its partnership with IMG Academy.
Rise Science measures and analyzes users’ sleep and allows coaches to gain visibility into team sleep patterns in order to understand performance variations, manage athlete workload and optimize recovery. The app tracks sleep debt and circadian rhythm patterns, then provides personalized coaching to help users improve sleep quality and consistency.
