Following an exceptional year of growth in 2020, the Icelandic sports tech firm, Sideline Sports – XPS Network has announced it will be expanding its operations further across the UK market from its new London offices.
Founded in 2001, XPS Network has developed market-leading software for sports coaches, clubs and is on course for 20% growth in the UK market alone over the next 12 months.
Described as a “one-stop-shop for clubs, organisations and sports academies”, the platform has been adopted by thousands of professional and grassroots sporting organisations. Its growing customer base of over 2,000 clubs and teams worldwide, includes the Danish football Association, the Czech Regional Football Academies, and EräViikingit, the world’s largest floorball club.
Having established itself across mainland Europe as the most powerful coaching tool on the market, XPS Network is set to expand its operations in the UK and will enter into untapped lucrative sports segments, including Hockey and Rugby.
Following the recent landmark deal between Sky, BBC and the Barclays FA Women’s Super League, XPS Network will also be turning its focus to Women’s Football. The firm aims to establish deals with a number of clubs in the league, adding to its clients that already includes West Ham United Women’s team.
Despite the impact of the pandemic, the company signed up 61 new football clubs from Scandinavia alone.
In the basketball space, XPS Network has onboarded two of the top three teams in the UK and is now in discussion with England Basketball about rolling out the XPS Network across the country. The firm is in similar talks with the English College Football Association.
Leading the company’s UK expansion is Tom Malins, a football coach and XPS customer before joining the company as Country Manager for the UK & Ireland.
He said: “The company’s flagship XPS Network coaching platform is currently available in 29 languages. It allows coaches to plan team sessions and individual workouts, monitor and improve players’ performances and streamline communication.
“The software’s video analysis tool makes it possible for coaches to produce customisable videos that highlight areas of focus and indicate areas of improvement. We’re really excited about its potential here in the UK and we’re looking forward to reaching new markets this year.”
XPS Network was founded at the beginning of the millennium by Agust Thorkelsson and Brynjar Sigurdsson after they met through their shared love for basketball. Prior to launching the company, Sigurdsson was an ambitious basketball coach searching for new and innovative ways to boost his and his team’s efficiency.
Meanwhile, Thorkelsson was fresh out of university having completed a degree in computer science. It was during his studies that he first recognised the potential of video analysis software for sports training.
Although the idea was very much ahead of its time, Thorkelsson and Sigurdsson teamed up to create their own solution and later founded a basketball academy through which they tested and developed the platform.
Over the past two decades, the company has streamlined its software, growing its headcount to over thirty, and helping thousands of coaches in 2,000 clubs and organisations around the world revolutionise the way they train and organise their sports teams.
