When you’re a kid, talent and athleticism will get you far in the little leagues. But once you’re a pro athlete, you’re competing with the best of the best, and every little advantage makes a big difference.
That’s why so much research has been done in the field of sports science, because understanding the body and performance can help bring your game to the next level.
Ireland and LA-based company Orreco launched in 2010 to bring these principles to both amateur and professional athletes. And on Wednesday, the company announced the closing of a $3.6 million investment round led by True Ventures. True Ventures was one of the first investors in Fitbit, and is also an investor in Peloton.
Orreco has created a suite of tech products that use data science, sports science, biometrics and AI in order to find ways to increase athletic performance. Its platform can take in an athlete’s biomarker data, and then use that to find optimal performance, measure inflammation, give recommendations for when athletes should rest and so on. The company has also designed specific products geared toward women’s athlete performance and tracking COVID-19 symptoms.
The new capital will allow Orreco to scale its product and expand its team. Orreco says that it’s looking to hire up to 30 people across its offices in the United Kingdom, United States and Ireland. The company currently has about 30 employees according to LinkedIn, and 37 people listed on its website (including scientific advisors). So adding 30 new hires could essentially double the size of the company.
Orreco also said it will specifically focus on hiring people for its LA-based performance center. This center is where Orreco provides its sports science and data solutions to professional athletes and sports teams, some of which include the Dallas Mavericks, the Atlanta Hawks, USA Swimming and the Wasserman Sports Agency.
“This investment will help us accelerate our growth and further develop our position in the EPL and NBA working with leading teams, athletes and their agents,” Orreco CEO and co-founder Dr. Brian Moore said in a statement. “We have ambitious growth and recruitment plans for talented teammates to join us. Our strategic investments over the past 10 years in applied data science and machine learning and our dedicated focus on women’s sport in particular, is now compounding in value. We look forward to exciting times ahead.”
