A sports start-up which uses athlete tracking technology to provide Premier League clubs and other clients with more precise insights into players’ performance has sealed a £4m injection of funding.

Sky News understands that Sportlight, which was established in 2017, has raised the money from a group of investors, including Sport Republic, the owner of Southampton FC, Bolt Ventures and Andy Young, the former chief financial officer at City Football Group, the owner of Manchester City.

Sportlight was established as a spinout from Createc, a specialist research and development company which developed technology to provide threat analysis for personnel operating in conflict zones and the nuclear and infrastructure sectors.

Its fundraising, which was at a £12m valuation, highlights the growing emphasis elite sports teams place on having access to advanced data to inform their decision-making.

The company’s sensors, called LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and artificial intelligence produce extremely granular data for analysis by sporting organisations.

It says it now works with a majority of the 20 teams in English football’s top flight.

Sportlight says its technology works in all-weather conditions, with sensors installed in stadia around the halfway line, usually near the main broadcast gantry.

Cost of living: Chancellor sees ‘challenging times ahead’ amid record disposable income squeeze

‘Surprising amount of momentum’ for housing market as prices hit new record

Flights cancelled from Heathrow due to ‘higher passenger numbers than airport can serve’

Raf Keustermans, Sportlight’s chief executive, said the company’s ambition was “to become the gold standard, eventually replacing legacy technologies as the main source of data for professional sports organisations”.

Mr Keustermans is a serial entrepreneur who also co-founded gaming companies including Plumbee, which was sold to Sony, and Bonza Gaming.

Based in Bicester, Sportlight is now in early discussions with a number of other sports bodies, including America’s NBA basketball league, and teams in other leagues.

Related posts:

Meal kit delivery firm Gousto plans to double workforce after sales surge Kantar CEO Nasard to leave after four months in the job HSBC quarterly profits surge on improved UK economic outlook BP profits bounce back but investors may remain sceptical about its transformation Google owner Alphabet posts record profit thanks to ‘elevated consumer activity online’ Pets At Home store sales top £1bn after pandemic boost in ownership Supermarket chain Morrisons is latest in firing line over COVID pay Contactless limit increasing to £100 in October – despite fears that thefts could rise Weakest new number plate March since 1998 but electric car sales enjoy record surge Disney chief Iger approached to back Pagliuca’s Chelsea bid Bannister looks to outpace rivals in race to be next CMA chair Boost to future of electric cars as UK’s first lithium plant secures new investment