In a Virgin Media News feature, Kitman Labs is profiled as a Dublin-born startup turned global leader in sports data analytics. CEO Stephen Smith points to AI as the next game-changer for talent, performance, and athlete care.
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Kitman Labs and the Future of Sport: Data, AI, and a Global Impact
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Born in Dublin and now with a worldwide reach, Kitman Labs has grown from a small Irish startup into one of the world’s leading names in sports data analytics .
CEO Stephen Smith spoke to Virgin Media Sport about where the idea for the business came from. Prior to starting the company, he spent almost 10 years working with Leinster Rugby. During his career there, he grew frustrated by the lack of ability to take the large volumes of data collected on athletes and turn it into daily, actionable decisions that supported the best outcomes for players.
While with Leinster, Smith conducted his master’s thesis on combined risk factors as predictors of athletic injury. Based on the success of that work, he received strong interest from other teams, including International Rugby and Premier League soccer, which led him to launch Kitman Labs. Everton Football Club became the company’s first client.
Breaking into the United States marked a turning point. Smith explains that entering the American market expanded the company’s opportunities, given the scale of sport, the fan engagement, and the value of competitions like college football, which surpasses many professional leagues worldwide. Seeing Kitman Labs’ technology adopted across some of the most valuable leagues has been a major milestone.
Talent identification has become one of the company’s growing areas of specialization. Smith believes artificial intelligence will transform this space, describing AI as a force multiplier with limitless use cases. He highlights how it can help identify athletes with comparable traits to top performers, determine the most effective coaching and training methods, recommend treatment approaches that speed recovery, and support tactical strategies tailored to specific opponents.
From Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea, and from the New York Jets to Leinster Rugby, Kitman Labs continues to drive innovation in global sport, building technology that helps teams take performance to the next level.
CEO Stephen Smith spoke to Virgin Media Sport about where the idea for the business came from. Prior to starting the company, he spent almost 10 years working with Leinster Rugby. During his career there, he grew frustrated by the lack of ability to take the large volumes of data collected on athletes and turn it into daily, actionable decisions that supported the best outcomes for players.
While with Leinster, Smith conducted his master’s thesis on combined risk factors as predictors of athletic injury. Based on the success of that work, he received strong interest from other teams, including International Rugby and Premier League soccer, which led him to launch Kitman Labs. Everton Football Club became the company’s first client.
Breaking into the United States marked a turning point. Smith explains that entering the American market expanded the company’s opportunities, given the scale of sport, the fan engagement, and the value of competitions like college football, which surpasses many professional leagues worldwide. Seeing Kitman Labs’ technology adopted across some of the most valuable leagues has been a major milestone.
Talent identification has become one of the company’s growing areas of specialization. Smith believes artificial intelligence will transform this space, describing AI as a force multiplier with limitless use cases. He highlights how it can help identify athletes with comparable traits to top performers, determine the most effective coaching and training methods, recommend treatment approaches that speed recovery, and support tactical strategies tailored to specific opponents.
From Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea, and from the New York Jets to Leinster Rugby, Kitman Labs continues to drive innovation in global sport, building technology that helps teams take performance to the next level.
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