SportAI may be a young tech company, established in late 2023, but it landed a big fish right from the beginning: 5-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen became the lead investor in the company’s pre-seed round. Some in the market were curious to learn more about the company and how it captured Magnus’ attention.
Photo: Magnus Carlsen and Henrik Carlsen (photo credit: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com)
By: Edward Radzivilovskiy
I recently had the chance to speak with Henrik Carlsen, Magnus Carlsen´s father and manager. I decided to learn about why he and Magnus chose to be early investors in the new AI based sports-tech company called SportAI from the very start.
It might not immediately seem like an obvious fit, but during our one hour conversation, we discussed the relationship between chess and other sports, the importance of personalized coaching to improve performance, how artificial intelligence has played a big role in the development of computer chess and how that is destined to play out similarly in other sports.
For starters, I wanted to find out how a 5 time World Chess Champion got involved with SportAI. Henrik explained it like this: “There is a natural affinity between sports like chess and football ” emphasizing the strategic elements shared between them. In fact, according to Henrik, strategic thinking is an essential part of excelling in most sports. Inspired by Google DeepMind’s AlphaZero, Magnus knew, from personal experience, that AI-based chess training has rapidly revolutionized the chess world. He realized that the rest of the sports world was poised to undergo a similar transformation. “What better time to get in on the ground floor with an investment opportunity like SportAI?”, he commented.
Interestingly, three critical factors were decisive in Magnus' decision to invest. Firstly, Magnus had previously worked very closely with the current leadership team at SportAI. He knew Andreas Thome, the former CEO of Play Magnus and now Chairman of SportAI, as well as his former manager, Espen Agdestein, who was the Chairman of the Board at Play Magnus and is now a board member at SportAI. Magnus had built a strong relationship with them while scaling his own co-founded company, Play Magnus AS. As Magnus said, "From what I've seen from the team we worked with before, we instantly knew that this enterprise was going to be a success."
The second reason was Magnus´ passion for sports. While everyone knows him as one of the greatest chess players of all time, he’s also an avid golfer and loves soccer. Interestingly, his first chess coach, Simen Agdestein – the brother of Espen Agdestein, now a SportAI board member – was a former professional footballer and played for the Norwegian national team. Magnus also appreciated that SportAI focuses on swing-based sports like golf, padel, and tennis. He’s familiar with these sports and believes AI can significantly enhance performance in them.
Finally, the last factor was Magnus' own long-standing fascination with sports analytics. He’s always been interested in data-driven approaches, similar to the "Moneyball" concept in sports. Not many people know this, but Magnus was once the top player in the Fantasy Premier League, which has over 11 million users. He loved the idea of SportAI using computer vision, machine learning, and AI-driven analytics to help athletes improve their performance. That combination of AI and sports is something he believes in.
"What better time to get in on the ground floor with an investment opportunity like SportAI?"
Henrik Carlsen
On a more personal note, both Henrik and Magnus expressed keenness on boosting their own golf performance. Funnily enough, it seems like they are hopeful of utilizing SportAI technology to help improve their golf game enough to win over each other. We’ll see. Perhaps the SportAI tech will allow them both to excel and stay well-matched top golf players instead.
"SportAI is all about using AI and technology to understand human movements, optimize them, and ultimately improve sports technique," Henrik explained. This perspective highlights a broader view of AI - not as something that replaces human abilities, but as a tool that enhances them. We also discussed how AI has influenced the world of chess over time. Initially, it was just a tool for basic calculations, but it has since evolved into a critical component of strategic planning and analysis. This evolution is very similar to what Magnus and I envision for SportAI and its impact on various sports.
One of the most interesting and somewhat unexpected topics that emerged from our conversation was about how SportAI democritizes access to top level sports training. Suddenly the best training protocols in the world could be available to everyone, regardless of their athletic level and financial ability, compared to hiring an expert sports coach and paying for expensive (and highly subjective) one-on-one training sessions. Henrik spoke passionately about the importance of having top-level coaching and training insights accessible to all, and I couldn't agree with him more.
The AI-based sports tools could help level the playing field and unearth many more tennis, golf and other sports talents across the globe. Henrik compared some of the large-scale changes for sports to some of Magnus’ early journeys, learning to play chess as a young man, saying that ubiquitous high speed internet access and the availability of online resources played a crucial role in Magnus’ development outside the traditional Russian chess powerhouse.
As I was wrapping up my interview with Henrik, I remember feeling very inspired and also grateful. Obviously, it’s difficult for Magnus to find time to do interviews. The fact that his father and manager decided to spend an hour sharing Magnus’ reasons for investment decision highlighted both their commitments to SportAI vision for creating a more athletic world. I had an opportunity to reach out to Magnus prior to this interview, and he expressed his enthusiasm for SportAI venture, stating:
"To be great at sports is about finding your edge. The technology that SportAI is bringing to market can expand availability to technical coaching and analysis in a way that’s never been possible before. I love sports like golf and tennis, and I believe that AI-powered technique analysis can truly advance these sports for players, businesses and spectators alike. That is why I decided to invest and get behind the SportAI team."
Magnus Carlsen
In our conversation, Henrik Carlsen not only highlighted the strategic and personal reasons behind the Carlsen family's investment in SportAI, but also illuminated their vision for the future. With a firm belief in the potential of AI to enhance human performance, the Carlsens are championing a new era in sports, making it an exciting field not just for athletes but for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, strategy, and human potential. I, for one, am glad to be onboard with them.
If you're interested in joining the team, now is the time.
For inquiries please contact Team SportAI at:
contact@sportai.com