Bloomington startup inks deal with DC athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — A Bloomington-based sports technology startup has secured a key partnership. Blueprint Stats, which has developed a platform that uses video analysis to help high school sports teams improve their game, has reached a deal with the District of Columbia State Athletic Association.

The startup will provide video analysis services during the 2021 DCSAA state basketball championships. Founder and CEO Hunter Hawley says this is the company’s first partnership with a state athletic organization.

“We are pushing the limit on what data can do in sports, and the DCSAA state basketball championships are an incredible place to do that on a large stage,” Hawley said in a news release. “The talent level in DC is unmatched, and the DCSAA is incredibly receptive to innovation.”

Blueprint Stats says its platform uses human and machine learning video analysis to create datasets, visuals, and training guides for coaches and athletes. 

“We are excited to incorporate this technology into our state basketball championships,” DCSAA Executive Director Clark Ray said. “Providing our coaches access to this platform will give them an opportunity to provide constructive analytical feedback to their players.”

Hawley says at the end of the previous season, 30 teams were using the Blueprint Stats platform. However, due to the pandemic’s impact on high school sports, the company currently doesn’t have any users.

“We are gearing up for the 2020-21 season, and plan to get involved in additional sports/summer leagues in 2021.”

The partnership comes just over a month after Blueprint Stats received $20,000 in funding from Indianapolis-based Elevate Ventures to develop new computer-vision models.