Cover Drive Cricket gives people the opportunity to compete in 10, 20 or 50 over matches in front of packed stadiums.��

Exeter resident Mark Phillips, who once played against England World Cup winning hero Ben Stokes in his home county of Cumbria, is behind the technology.����

The 29-year-old – made redundant during the middle of 2020 – says cricketers can use his VR to recover from injuries such as a broken toe, allowing players to keep their batting form as they recover without risk of further injury.����

He is also hoping professional and grassroots cricket clubs will benefit from the innovation.����

“It was a pet project to start with,” said Mark, a former cricketer with Northern League club Kendal.����

“After investigating the VR cricket��space��I found myself with a demo fully set up six months later. I love the sport of cricket and I suppose that combined with the programmer side of me has allowed Cover Drive Cricket to progress to where it has.”��

With 1500 downloads and 75 sales of the full version just last month Cover Drive Cricket is available on both��SideQuest��and App Labs – marketplaces for those with virtual reality headsets.����

The mission is now for Mark to spread the word so that cricketers everywhere can get more practice during the season.��

A Warwick University graduate who spent six years working for EdTech start-up��Sparx, Mark said: “The standalone Oculus Quest headsets didn’t exist two to three years ago. They now have roughly 30% of the market so there is a huge opportunity which no one is tapping into.��

“What I’m really proud of is creating something that I love while possibly being on the verge of putting cricket in far more people’s hands.”��

Cover Drive Cricket can be used to not just practice batting, but to gauge match awareness, and assess risk when playing certain shots. Mark says it could also be used to practice umpiring or wicketkeeping, or for any number of situations that would otherwise require significant time, effort or people to do in real life.��

Mark, also a member of��SETSquared��Exeter which is part of the wider��SETSquared��network, a global No.1 �Ͼ�Ʒ�� Incubator since 2015, intends to introduce a basic level of coaching and analysis, with fitness benefits also being considered to enhance user experience in the future.��

He said: “The coaching side of Cover Drive Cricket isn’t intended to compete with or replace coaches, but instead to help clubs cope with the demand of volunteer coaching time and help improve the quality of players everywhere.��

“One of the most enjoyable parts of the process so far has been exploring new technologies with the vision of understanding how they could provide access to cricket to more people around the world.”��

He added: “While I’ve been fortunate to have played a lot of��cricket��when I was younger, since starting a career, I know that probably like many others, my opportunities to play cricket have decreased massively.����

“I created Cover Drive Cricket to help people still be able to play the sport they love.”��

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Series A investors backing��‘revolutionary’��video platform��Recast��include ex-Pixar CFO Simon Bax,��also a former Executive Vice President at the animation company.��

The��£5.9 million��round, which also includes private��equity firm Visor International and Riva Technology and Entertainment,��values Recast��at around��£21m.��

Described as a��‘pioneering sports��over-the-top platform’, the money raised will principally be used to further develop the Recast platform, currently in BETA in the UK.����

Recast will also invest in expanding its geographical footprint as the appetite from rights holders indicates significant demand to reach a global audience.��

CEO and founder Andy Meikle said: “The calibre��of this investment group reflects the response from the rights holders around the world and Recast’s major potential, particularly as we’re just getting started.����

“We’re often congratulated on how ‘disruptive’ our model is, but in our view the industry has already been disrupted and we’re providing a revolutionary solution.”��

Recast’s OTT micropayment offering hits the market at a time where the global sports organisations are facing numerous challenges with traditional distribution.����

Rights holders and content creators are struggling to monetise audiences, face regular abuse on social media channels, which has resulted in a social media boycott for many, and are seeing an increasing consumption of content through pirated channels, which has only been exacerbated by the��COVID-19 pandemic.��

Recast, which allows rights holders to set up and run their own direct-to-consumer channel for free, addresses these challenges head on. An incentivised sharing model, a platform free from abuse, and the ability to monetise views through micropayments are just some of the reasons why Recast is receiving an overwhelming response from the industry.��

Recast has recruited some of the most highly regarded names in tech and sport including Simon Clegg CBE, former Chief Executive of the British Olympic Association, JC Oliver, former Global Head of Innovation at Microsoft, and Chris Stafford, former co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of��Fanduel.��

Founding Investor and Executive Chairman��Clegg said:��“To oversubscribe in the current climate and in such a short window is testament to the belief that an alternative model is needed and��Recast offers that solution.����

“We’re very pleased to welcome a great range of strategic investors to the cap table, which only strengthens our position as we expand our offering globally.”��

Recast is already working with several high-profile rights holders and bodies ­– including golf’s European Tour, Manchester City FC, the World Parkour Championship and Hibernian FC­ – each using its ground-breaking technology to help maximise their earning potential from highlights, in-play clips and live events.��

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In the 21st Century, football still requires talent across the board. From players to referees and managers to football clubs, technological advancements have progressed the standards of training and gameplay, making rule-following much easier. We’ll take a look at just some of the ways in which tech has helped the business of football.

Performance platforms

Football has always been a competitive sport, but since it is also a money-making business, the stakes are higher than ever before. While this puts pressure on each football player to perform well, it also requires clubs to make the right decision when choosing a player to recruit. After all, investing in a player whose performance is low is likely going to cost the team the winning trophy. With technology and , searching for the best players is all the easier. Its features work to pool analysis of football players together in one platform so that clubs can gain access to player performance, including player pros and cons like speed, goal kicks, concentration, and team performance. In assisting clubs in their decision-making process, technology has enabled football teams to strive.

While thanks must go to these types of platforms in gathering analysis, the method of collection deserves praise too. Thanks to GPS tracking wearable devices, namely watches, a player’s speed, pace, endurance, and more can be tracked. While fit for training purposes since it allows players to assess their strength and weaknesses, this method of data collection works hand in hand with performance platforms.

Gameplay

While technology for performance tracking and analysis has been around since the noughties, technology to assist and improve gameplay only came about around a decade later. One of the first technological advancements for the benefit of gameplay was communication devices, namely radio sets and earpieces, which has allowed for information to be shared between managers, and referees and their assistants. As a result, match play decisions have been made all the easier, since a linesman can easily communicate to the referee if something is in fact, offside.

Aiding more precise decision making, Goal Line technology was introduced in 2011 and determines whether a goal has been scored or not. While officials ultimately make the call on this decision, the technology is there as an assistant. More recently in 2019, Virtual Assistant Referee (VAR) was introduced to football and records footage for playback to ensure there is minimal error when making key match decisions.

Online games and betting

While technology has aided professional football, it has also allowed the average person to access football. Via technology, football has thus gone beyond the pitch and can be seen on TV screens, computers, consoles, and mobile phones. With sites like , football fans and other members of the public can bet on games in real-time which gives them a sense of involvement. Since live streaming and scores are accessible via sites like these, technology has allowed football to land in the hands of many more than before. Equally, football goes beyond the matches themselves and with games like FIFA, anyone anywhere can play on their computer or console. With such accessibility to football via technology, it’s therefore no wonder it is the number one sport in the UK.

It is clear that technology has helped football become a profitable business that takes pride in skill, fair play, and accessibility, and without it, football wouldn’t be the game that the nation knows and loves today.

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BGF has��backed��Oxfordshire-based��Polar Technology Management Group,��which��serves��the automotive, medical and aerospace/defence sectors.��

The��investment will be used to support��the business’��planned move into a state-of-the-art 100,000 sq. ft. facility at Horizon Technology Park in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, doubling the size of its production capacity and creating over 110 new jobs in the next two years.����

The new facility is expected to be fully up and running during 2021.��

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Polar Technology Management Group was established in 2012 by Scott Roberts and Mike Dewhirst. Currently employing over 200 people, the business designs, develops and manufactures products and technology based around advanced composite materials, emerging metal processes and metallic fabrications.��

With a focus on high-tech R&D, Polar Technology Management Group’s key clients include a range of technology specialist companies in the medical and aerospace industries.����

The company is highly embedded in the automotive sector, working with F1 manufacturers, whilst also producing parts for high performance ‘Hypercars’.��

“This will enable us to grow faster, support our customers better and provide job security to our existing team of highly skilled, dedicated, employees,” said Roberts.����

“The deal will also create hundreds of new jobs in the West Oxfordshire area over the next three years with investment planned in clean, sustainable, technologies supporting our expanding manufacturing base.”��

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Greg Norman, investor at BGF,��added: “We have known the team at Polar Technology Management Group for some time and seen them deliver year-on-year. We are excited to partner with them to support the long-term growth of the business.����

“The company has an impressive management team in Scott, Mike and Dale, and some very exciting technologies both already delivered and in development. We look forward to the growth of this exciting company as it looks to the future.”��

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The pandemic would��make��The Body Coach YouTube star Joe Wicks��into��a household name.��But thousands of��other��health��and fitness instructors were perhaps less��chipper about the situation.��

Last autumn, around the time Wicks was awarded an MBE for services to health and charity,��Daniel Stott��founded his start-up business, Class-ify, to��hand��these professionals –��unable to see clients��face-to-face��–��with��a��revenue lifeline.��

“C��������-ify is a platform which enables independent fitness and wellness instructors to build their own online business through live and on-demand classes,” Stott (below) tells �Ͼ�Ʒ��Cloud.��

“We provide the tech, but we also deliver the business and marketing support required for them to grow their revenue.”����

Class-ify, which��launched in November,��allows independent instructors to monetise their audience without having to invest capital into the development of their own website or app.��

“Our sole goal is to help every instructor around the world pivot their business online as the world moves that way,” Stott explains.��

“Each instructor has their own landing page, where their members can easily log in and join their live class directly from the instructor’s page, so there is no need for Zoom links or emails invitations.����

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“As soon as the class is over, the recording automatically saves into the instructor’s on-demand library for their members to play back if they miss the live class.����

“We also handle all payments and provide the instructor with a dashboard to manage their business, making everything as easy as can be to run a successful online fitness business, with everything in one place.”��

Employing 12��full-time��remote��staff��around Europe, including its three co-founders, Class-ify��had a novel approach to attracting instructors to the platform:��the first 100 trainers to partner with it are also being awarded shares in the business.��

“We want our instructors to feel part of the fabric of Class-ify. We are building this business for instructors, so it made sense to reward them in this way and, technically, make 100 of them our bosses in the process,” Stott says.����

“We wouldn’t be where we are now without the support of the founding 100.”��

A platform built for instructors, and now owned by instructors.

Thank you to all of our incredible 100 founding instructors from all around the world.

Our journey began with you! ?

— Class-ify (@weareclassify)

It surpassed that number at the end of March.��

While the London firm’s focus is on the English-speaking market, the trainers are based in more than 10 countries while the firm has more than 1,000 paying members in 33 countries.

So exciting to announce that we’ve now reached 1000 paying members in 33 countries…! ?

Which means a whopping £30k per month is going to incredible independent instructors from all over the world ??

— Class-ify (@weareclassify)

“We just raised £350k in an angel round of funding. We had bootstrapped the business until that point,” says Stott, a former sales manager and director at JustEat and technology-focused care firm Elder.����

“Given the speed of growth and traction, we are likely to kick off the next round of funding, which could be Seed/series A, in the next couple of months, with a view to close that next round by late summer.����

“As a founding team, we have been down this road a few times already in our careers and have the fundraising map clearly laid out, but with plenty of flex of course as you never know what’s around the corner.”��

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Fury’s career has left an imprint on boxing fans and the��general public��over the years. His remarkable career as an amateur transformed��into an illustrious career as a professional.��

Fighting against��the��odds,��Fury��defeated Vladmir Klitschko��in November 2015, ending ‘Dr Steelhammer’s’ reign of 10 years in front of a capacity crowd of 55,000 in Düsseldorf and certifying the ‘Gypsy King’ as the new man to beat.��

He is��also��a hero to many for��subsequently��winning battles��against��depression and drug addiction��outside the ring,��prior to returning to��dismantle Deontay Wilder and secure his 30th��victory.��

Now he is looking to��deliver a knockout blow��in the��non-fungible token��space as he��releases��a premium collection of items including playing cards and��memorabilia.����

Why NFTs are turning the art world on its head

NFTs are unique, blockchain-based digital tokens which people can purchase to ‘own’��digital creations, such as digital art, video game items and music.��

The first NFT in the Tyson Fury collection, to be sold via��Fomo��Labs via auction in the next two weeks, is a��digital artwork piece. The winning bidder will also receive a video of Fury��adding his digital signature.��

The artist��is��George Rollo, 23 and from Wakefield,��who has produced work for��Tyga’s music videos��and also��had commissions from fellow rappers 50 Cent and Drake.��

Rollo, based in Dubai, has exhibited his unique style in New York��and��also��painted��for royalty.��

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The Edinburgh firm, which develops software, analytics, gamification and wearable technology, has been backed by games legend��Ian Livingstone’s Hiro Capital.��

In its first year live,��PlayerData��has captured more than 10,000 team sessions and 50 million metres of athlete��play in UK grassroots��soccer and��rugby.��

The��funding��will be used to supercharge��PlayerData’s��growth across multiple sports and to expand internationally.��

Its��AI algorithms predict player injuries before they happen and its tools allow coaches to replay key moments from��the game, modelling different outcomes based on player positioning.��

Roy��Hotrabhvanon, co–founder��and��CEO of��PlayerData, is a former international archer who narrowly missed out��on selection for the Rio Olympics in 2016 for the Thailand national team.����

Hayden Ball, co–founder and CTO,��is a��CompSci��expert in firmware and cloud infrastructure who designed, built, and launched a distributed SaaS solution for the Edinburgh Fringe.����

“O�ܰ���mission is to bring fine grained data and insight to clubs across team sports, helping them supercharge their game-making, improve player performance, and avoid injury,” said��Hotrabhvanon.��

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“We leverage our platform and big data to generate biometric insights applicable at any��level – from grassroots to the Premier League.����

“Due to the team network effect, the��PlayerData��community is fast-growing across the UK and overseas. Our��ultimate goal��is to implement cutting-edge insights from pioneering wearables that are applicable to any��team in any discipline at any level.”����

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The twice gold medal-winning triathlete is backing a new sports and wellness start-up programme, which has pledged to invest £1 million through 2021 into the UK’s best early-stage founders.��

Successful applicants will receive mentorship, investment, industry contacts and tech development to build and grow their businesses.������

Alistair,��currently training for this year’s Tokyo Olympics, will participate in the programme webinars, group work sessions and will sit on the investment pitch panel.����

He and his team at Brownlee Fitness will continue to work directly with successful��founders��post-investment alongside the other programme partners including Nova, Leeds Beckett University, Global Sports and��Bruntwood.������

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The��programme, launching later this month, has put out an open call for ‘ambitious founders at a pre-seed stage’.����

Applicants will benefit from Nova’s expertise in early–stage technology start–ups combined with Alistair and the supporting partners commercial experience��across the sports and wellness industries. Interested parties should apply on the Nova��website by the 12th of April.����

“The past��12��months have shown the importance of sport, not only for physical fitness but also for mental health and wellbeing too,” said��Alistair.����

“The tech��start–ups I’m excited to see come through the programme are ones removing barriers to exercise,��improving access and participation. My ambition is to support innovation that not only makes great business sense but also delivers great health benefits too.”��

Nova��CEO Andy Davidson added:��“We’ve had a really diverse group of applicants so far, everything from fan engagement and rehabilitation devices to��eSports training software.����

“It’s a really exciting mix of projects that we can’t wait to start working on. We’ve been��able to bring together a really talented team to support these projects to achieve their full potential.”��

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The��HealthTech company, based in London,��has��enjoyed��12 months of rapid growth.��

NuroKor, which pioneers wearable technology that uses bioelectric��nerve, muscle and microcurrent stimulation to help manage pain and optimise physical performance, has kickstarted the year by opening a state-of-the-art research and development base in Cardiff.����

Located in the��Tramshed��Tech hub and creating a series of jobs��across the business, the new site will be dedicated to advancing�����ܰ��ǰ��ǰ�’s��clinical programme and forging closer relationships with key academic, research and NHS partners.��

Currently the only life science company of its kind,�����ܰ��ǰ��ǰ�’s��technology��is distributed across eight countries worldwide and will this year be breaking into the US market in a major new partnership with Medi-Launch Partners.����

The US firm, which specialises in the launch and distribution of��pioneering medical devices, will be working with��NuroKor��to optimise the commercial success of�����ܰ��ǰ��ǰ�’s��mibody��device and newly developed��mediliev��Rx across the US through��over-the-counter��and prescription avenues to support chronic pain management and recovery.����

“It’s been an exceptional 12 months for��NuroKor��and we have some huge developments in the pipeline. Our new research and development centre in Cardiff will play a pivotal role in our expansion over the coming year,” said founder and CEO Rick Rowan (below).

“Being part of the��Tramshed��Tech hub is incredibly exciting – it’s��a hotbed for innovation and creativity and we’ll be surrounded by several other high-growth and ambitious tech start–ups.����

“There’s also a huge amount of talent in Cardiff, so we look forward to welcoming��a number of new team members in a range of roles to support��our research and development programme.��

“It��goes without saying that it has been an incredibly challenging time for the healthcare industry of late, but despite the effects of the pandemic, it has been an extremely busy period of growth for us.��

“During the peak of lockdown (May-October), our half year��sales figures were up 156% on the previous year, demonstrating how the��HealthTech ecosystem in the UK is thriving in the face of great adversity.”��

Over the past 12 months, the company has secured financial backing��from 28 healthcare professionals – including surgeons, physicians, physiotherapists and pharmacists – taking its overall total to more than 60 investors.����

The business has also raised £2m under SEIS and EIS advance assurance in the lead up to £12m Series A raise,��which will be taking place this year.��

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Once the Series A funding is finalised, it will be used to activate��the business’s 24-48 month roadmap, which will include the development of biosensor feedback, AI and machine learning algorithms.��

Dr Ashish Shetty, chief medical officer, pain and��neuromodulation, at��NuroKor��added:��“As people’s attitudes and expectations towards receiving healthcare��treatments continue to change in line with the ramifications of COVID-19, remote monitoring and interventional solutions, like the��NuroKor��devices, are becoming increasingly important.����

“Our technology allows patients to manage their chronic and acute pain without��the direct involvement of medical professionals – meaning patients can benefit from greater treatment control and our NHS can focus on more urgent and pressing matters.”��

Launched in 2018,��NuroKor��was founded by Rowan,��who spotted��the immense and underdeveloped potential of bioelectric technology while searching for an alternative therapy to treat his 30-year chronic back pain.����

Today,��NuroKor��produces a range of wearable devices that combine three��clinically-proven��bioelectric technologies��into compact, wearable and easy-to-use designs. It can target users’ acute and chronic pain, optimise recovery and rehabilitation and increase performance.����

Over 50 Olympians and elite level athletes use�����ܰ��ǰ��ǰ�’s��technology,��and the business now has seven vertical��subsidiaries;��LifeTech, Equine,��WoundTech,��FemTech, Human Performance, Aesthetics and Anaesthetics.��

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��gives users and organisations access to��a wide variety of company-wide tools and insights.��

Individuals can track habits, engage in programmes and challenges and gain access to comprehensive education and support library or gain access to personalised health improvement strategies with the help and support of trained and qualified specialists across physical and mental health.��

The��new��integration sees the launch of��heroPro, which��brings����DZ��dzܰ��󾱳�’s��scientifically validated and data-driven approach to managing a healthy lifestyle for peak performance to the Navigator platform.��

ColourFit��founder Dr Tom Little, a performance and nutrition specialist,��has worked in elite sport for over 20 years, helping Premier��League clubs��and��athletes��to reach ultimate performance.��He��created the��ColourFit��system to make nutrition simple for those wanting to perform at their very best.����

hero acquired��ColourFit��in 2018. The companies say��the integration��allows for a far more��bespoke and personalised��service��for��clubs��and athletes.����

“Three years ago,��when we joined the hero family,��I didn’t think we would experience the success that we have had,” said Dr Little.����

“hero has always been a great fit for the company due to its advances in technology in the form of the Navigator app, its team of experts, its routes to different markets and like us, shares bold ambitions to grow and offer a science-based approach to healthy living.������

“We now have a renewed set of goals and this is the start of a new and exciting journey for us and our clients.”��

heroPro��clients will��have access to��an��increased recipe library, enhanced coaching features,��1-2-1 support,��a wider��training library for beginner–to–elite athletes��and��access to hero’s predictive behavioural analytics.����

Joe Gaunt, CEO of hero,��said: “As a product and approach to nutrition,��ColourFit��has always been first-class, which is completely down to the hard work and vision of Dr Tom Little. The launch of��heroPro��is an exciting new chapter in our story.������

“No other wellbeing company looks at every aspect of health in the same way as we do at hero and now to add the��ColourFit��methodology and nutritional insight for athletes into the Navigator app will give us the opportunity to bring two market leaders together.������

“The benefits for both brands are incredible and hero clients will also greatly benefit from all the awesome features of��heroPro.�� 2021 is shaping up to be quite the year.”����

hero recently raised £825,000 investment from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, to support its continued growth.

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