Feldspar, a British sports technology company, is currently in discussions with new investors to secure up to £6m in funding. The firm aims to raise between £5.5m and £6m in a seed round, with a focus on attracting strategic partners from sports organisations.
The company's innovative smart athletics track, which incorporates cloud-connected sensor-plate technology, is designed to enhance athlete performance and prevent injuries by providing real-time data. This technology, described as the world’s first modular platform for continuous force measurement across sports surfaces, could also generate recurring subscription revenues.
An 18-month pilot programme is underway at the National Indoor Athletics Centre in Cardiff, where 60 metres of track and 156 sensor plates have been installed. Feldspar's team includes notable figures such as ex-GB sprinter Darren Campbell, along with senior figures from the Premier League and London Marathon, and former executives from SailGP and Formula E.
While the initial application is for running tracks, Feldspar's founders believe the sensor technology has wider potential, including for court-based sports and even full-size football pitches. The company aims to make the technology achievable for a full stadium by 2036, despite current cost barriers for large-scale implementation.