Concussion detection wearable secures €650k in pre-seed funding

Sports Impact Technologies begins beta trials with a view to product early next year

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Eoin Tuohy, Sports Impact Technologies

Sports Impact Technologies, an Irish start-up which has developed a wearable that detects head impacts in real-time, has secured €650,000 in pre-seed funding.

The investment round, led by private investors with the support of Enterprise Ireland High-Potential Start-Up (HPSU) funding, will be used to accelerate the roll-out of the company’s beta product.

The wearable sensor, which is sport and player agnostic and sits behind the ear, monitors head impacts during a game by recording head accelerations. Data and alerts are transmitted in real-time via an app to coaches, medical staff, or safety officials who can then make an informed decision to take a player off the pitch to be assessed for concussion, reducing the risk of further injury and ensuring player safety on the field.

 
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Sports Impact Technologies, founded in 2022 by Eoin Tuohy (pictured), is headquartered at NovaUCD in Dublin.

“It is estimated that between 5% and 10% of players experience a concussion in any given sports season, with 5 in 10 concussions going unreported or undetected leading to players experiencing long-term health implications,” said Tuohy. “Using our smart sensor technology to monitor head impacts in real-time, our goal is to make unrecognised concussions a thing of the past protecting athletes, optimising their performance, and enabling participation.”

He added: “We are launching beta-testing programmes with pilot customers in sports ranging from American football to rugby to soccer, hockey and GAA football this September, which will provide valuable real-world data and position us for a full product launch early next year.”

Sports Impact Technologies previously completed the Enterprise Ireland funded New Frontiers Programme at TU Dublin and secured €100,000 in Enterprise Ireland PSSF funding. The company, also an ESA BIC client company, was named the winner of the ‘Best New Start’ Award in the Connacht and Leinster regional final of 2024 InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition.

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