Lucra was named to Fast Company's annual list of the World's Most Innovative Companies of 2024.
Performance optimization in sports isn’t new. But a recent shift toward prioritizing athletes’ health, safety, and wellness—both physical and mental—has been seismic. Driving this change are the same kinds of algorithms that have personalized nearly every aspect of our digital experience, in this case enhancing our understanding of both the individual athlete and the human body.
Springbok Analytics has pioneered a way to use artificial intelligence to turn 2D MRI data into personalized 3D musculoskeletal analyses, a type of digital twin, to optimize a person’s health and performance. Its technology, which could treat and potentially prevent everything from ACL tears to rotator cuff injuries, has found customers throughout the NFL, NBA, and MLB, as well as college teams. While Springbok focuses on elite athletes, MAGIC helps out amateurs and average Joes. The U.K.-based company offers AI-powered programs in which users can receive one-on-one training from celebrity trainers and professional athletes.
Not all sports innovators are focused on physical performance. RealResponse offers a platform for athletes and student athletes to safely and swiftly share any concerns they have about things like team culture or mental health issues through anonymous two-way communication and surveys. Meanwhile, ProXR is focused on the tools athletes use for their sports. What began as a backyard baseball accident turned into a complete reimagining of the baseball bat’s shape, angling the knob to eliminate friction during the swing and protect hitters from hand injuries.
In women’s sports, the NWSL is at the forefront, pioneering media rights deals and raising the bar for how women’s sports franchises are valued. With the rise of sports betting, sports tech leader Sportradar is making video processing faster than ever, enabling micro-betting for live sports, while Lucra, another tech company, is gamifying casual sports betting.
On the marketing side, State Farm continues to reinvent how fans interact with brands by gamifying marketing and bringing spokespeople to life. And ASB Glass Floor is taking tech to the basketball court with its interactive LED playing surfaces, laying the literal groundwork for brands to entertain and connect with fans like never before. Lastly, SailGP brings sustainability to racing sports, reimagining both coverage and competition to reduce its carbon footprint—just one of this year’s companies whose contributions could transcend sport itself.
1. NATIONAL WOMEN’S SOCCER LEAGUE
For raising the bar for how women’s sports are valued
2. SPORTRADAR
For wagering heavily on micro-betting
3. STATE FARM
For scoring big with its social integration into big games
4. SPRINGBOK ANALYTICS
For adding some extra muscle to AI
5. SAILGP
For charting a course to more sustainable competition
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6. PROXR
For reinventing the handles for bats, racquets, and hockey sticks
7. REALRESPONSE
For protecting athletes from abuse
8. LUCRA
For gamifying casual sports betting
9. ASB GLASSFLOOR
For lighting up the floor (and the data) on basketball courts