🚀 Upside Weekly Recap: New Products, SKUs Added to Database, Top Weekly Product Reviews. Latest M&A Deals & Studies: ACL Injuries

Sep 19, 2025

🚀 Upside Tech Scouting Platform: New Products, SKUs & Top Weekly Product Reviews by Practitioners

As a reminder, in July 2025 we announced our new product comparison tool (Interactive tables, Upside AI Assistant) which is part of our Upside Tech scouting platform.

Our brand-new Product Comparison Tool offers a comprehensive comparison of over 500 performance products and companies across a wide range of categories (AMS, GPS, hydration assessment tools, cognitive training, velocity training systems, video analysis, sleep tech, etc..). Whether you're evaluating vendors for AMS platforms, velocity training, or other categories, this tool allows you to compare pricing, specifications, customer bases, capabilities, funding, and more—all in one place.

Picture: Upside Global, confidential, August 2025

Here is a screenshot of what our Upside AI assistant looks like:

Picture: Upside Global, confidential, September 2025

At Upside, we’ve built one of the most comprehensive performance technology databases in sports and tech with the top 500 products and companies in performance tech. From GPS tracking and recovery systems to strength training solutions and biometric monitoring tools, our platform covers the products shaping athlete performance today.

But technology in sports moves fast—new SKUs, product launches, and price changes are happening constantly. That’s why our team updates the database every single week, so that teams, practitioners, and decision-makers always have access to the most accurate and up-to-date information.

📘 New Products Added this Week to the Upside Product & Company Database

This week we added the following new SKUs and products below to our database of the top 500 performance tech products and companies.

Source: Upside Product/company Database, Confidential, September 2025

⭐ Top Product Reviews by Practitioners This Week

One of the most valuable parts of the Upside platform is the perspective from those on the ground—the practitioners who test, implement, and refine these technologies with athletes every day. This week, we’re featuring a new set of practitioner-led reviews that offer a behind-the-scenes look at how products perform in real environments:

Picture: Upside Global, confidential, September 2025

Here’s a summary of the three reviews shown in the image above:

The Quick Board

Rating: 4.3/5
Quote: “The QuickBoard has been an integral component of our programming for the past decade. Its versatility encompasses gamification of agility training, pre-draft testing, and readiness monitoring, among other applications. It stands as a reliable tool backed by ongoing technical support”. Head of S&C, Basketball team.
Summary: The reviewer, identified as a "Head of S&C" for a "Basketball" team, calls The Quick Board an "integral component" of their program for a decade. They appreciate its versatility for various applications, including agility training, pre-draft testing, and readiness monitoring. The reviewer also notes that the product is a "reliable tool" with consistent technical support.

Picture: The Quick Board

Kinvent

Rating: 4.8/5
Quote: “Kinvent’s 3D Deltas are the most innovative force plates in the market. The 3D Deltas allow us to get real time multi-directional data, unlike the regular vertical data seen in conventional force plates. The markerless video assessment, combined with the force plate data, gives us another layer to objectively return our athletes to the field. They are an integral part to our everyday rehabilitation protocols”. - Sr Director of Sports Health and Performance, American Football team.
Summary: The reviewer, a "Sr Director of Sports Health and Performance" for an "American Football” team, considers the Kinvent 3D Deltas to be the most "innovative force plates on the market." They highlight its ability to provide real-time, multi-directional data, unlike conventional force plates. The reviewer also values the integration of video assessment with the force plate data, which provides an additional layer of objective information for returning athletes to the field. They conclude by stating the product is an essential part of their daily rehabilitation protocols.

Picture: Kinvent K-Deltas 3D Force Plates

Athletic Heart

Rating: 4.8/5
Quote: “We have worked together with Athletic Heart for a number of years performing cardiovascular screenings as an important part of our pre-participation physical examination with every student-athlete. The quality of the screenings are excellent and their staff are highly professional and work very well in conjunction with our medical staff” - Senior Associate Athletic Director – Sports Medicine American Football team.
Summary: The reviewer, a Senior Associate Athletic Director – Sports Medicine for an American Football program, highlights Athletic Heart’s cardiac screening solution as a key part of pre-participation physical exams for student-athletes. They praise the high quality of screenings, the professionalism of the staff, and the seamless collaboration with their medical team.

Kinmetrix

Rating: 4.5/5
Quote: “Wow! This is the best thing I have seen for neck training and measuring that I have ever seen”. - Strength and Conditioning Coach, American Football team
Summary: The reviewer, a "Head Strength and Conditioning Coach" for an "American Football team," is extremely impressed with the Kinmetrix Arc. They describe it as "the best thing" they have seen for neck training and measurement.
Valued for measuring isometric strength and aiding athlete training. The latest update expanded functionality, making it useful for daily rehab and testing. It’s versatile, able to measure nearly every movement in multiple positions.

These reviews go beyond specs and marketing—they capture how technology is actually being used, what works best, and where there’s room for improvement. By bringing practitioner voices directly into the scouting process, Upside makes it easier for teams and organizations to make informed, evidence-based decisions.

Join Today

All these features—the product comparison tool, Upside AI assistant, are available through flexible membership options, including monthly and annual plans. The practitioner community and product review sections are free for all practitioners. So if you are a practitioner who wants to join our online community of practitioners please contact us at julien@upsideglobal.co and we will create your online exec profile.

Check Upside membership options

Interested in learning more? Contact us today to see a live demo, get pricing information and subscribe to our new Tech scouting platform. You contact us at julien@upsideglobal.co or click on the button below.

🔍 Recent M&A Deals / Moves Of The Week

StubHub IPO
- StubHub went public, raising $800 million in its IPO, with a market cap of ~$8.5B. (Source: Axios)
- Not strictly a startup, but this shows investor interest remains strong for secondary market / ticketing / experiences related to sports.
- Upside Take: Income Generating Assets in Sports: IPOs like StubHub show that well-established tools in the sports economy with solid user bases and content rights (ticketing, resale, etc.) still draw large public / institutional capital.
Unrivaled 3-on-3 Women’s Basketball League
- The league raised a Series B round, gaining a valuation of $340 million. (source: AP News
- Backed by big names (Bessemer VP, celebrity investors) and achieving strong fan engagement and media viewership already.
- Upside Take: Women’s Sports & Alternative Leagues: Unrivaled’s funding shows that investors see potential in nontraditional league models, especially with women’s sports, novel formats (3-on-3), and strong fan engagement.
Polymarket (Prediction / Betting Platform)
- Preparing for a U.S. expansion; a new funding round in the works. Could boost its valuation up to ~$10 billion. (Source: Business Insider)
- The company has added bigger advisors/partners, indicating growing legitimacy of prediction market / betting adjacent platforms as part of the sports asset ecosystem.
- Upside Take: Prediction / Betting Platforms Gaining Traction: Polymarket’s move signals that regulatory changes + new laws are enabling expansion for prediction markets (and sports‐adjacent betting tools). There’s growing investor interest in platforms sitting between pure media and betting.
Minute Media acquires VideoVerse
- An acquisition rather than funding, but relevant: Minute Media (which has backing from BlackRock etc.) acquired VideoVerse, an Indian AI startup that specializes in extracting sports highlights from footage. (Source: TechCrunch)
- VideoVerse’s tech lets broadcasters or rights-owners automate highlight creation, add translation, etc. Growing demand for content + tools for distributing it.
- Upside Take: Content Automation & Video Tech: The acquisition of VideoVerse highlights the demand for AI / ML tools that can process video, generate highlights, translate, and automate workflows for broadcasters and media companies.
- Acquisition vs Pure VC Rounds: Not all movement is VC funding; strategic M&A is also playing a role (e.g. Minute Media acquiring VideoVerse). That implies consolidation in certain parts of the sports tech stack, especially media and content tools.
Somnee receives NBA investment, releases 2.0 sleep wearable (Source here)
- NBA investment: Somnee secured strategic funding from the NBA, strengthening its position in the elite sports market.
- New product launch: The company released its Somnee 2.0 sleep wearable, designed to enhance sleep quality and recovery.
- Performance focus: The updated device emphasizes athlete recovery, aligning with growing demand for sleep optimization in professional sports.
- Upside Take: The NBA Launchpad continues to make bets and invest into startup through its startup accelerator program. Of note, Somnee raised $10M last June.

⌚ New Product Announcements this Week

PlayerData releases industry’s smallest indoor/outdoor tracking device (Source here)
Oakley Meta Vanguard: The Sports Smart Glasses That Could Transform How Athletes Train and Compete (Source here)
Google Launches Gemini-Powered Personal Health Coach in Fitbit Ecosystem (Source here)
Carvana, Shaq sponsorship deal features AI version of HOFer (Source here)
NoiseFit Endeavour Pro rugged smartwatch (Source here)
Amazon “Prime Vision” AR broadcast format (Source here)
LiveU LU900Q field unit (Source here)
Ultrahuman teams up with Clue to integrate richer cycle tracking (Source here)
Apple Watch hypertension feature gets FDA clearance ahead of launch (Source here)

⭐ Latest Studies in ACL Injuries in 2025

The latest studies in 2025 on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) research highlight advancements in surgical techniques, rehabilitation protocols, and personalized treatment strategies. Key areas of focus include:

ACL Repair vs. Reconstruction

Modern ACL repair techniques, such as the Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair (BEAR), are being investigated for their potential to preserve native proprioception and offer faster recovery compared to traditional reconstruction.
Meta-analyses in 2025 indicate comparable clinical outcomes between repair and reconstruction in carefully selected cases, particularly for tears close to the ligament's bone attachment.

Adjunct Procedures

Lateral Extra-articular Tenodesis (LET) is increasingly being used in conjunction with ACL reconstruction to enhance rotational stability and minimize the risk of re-tears, especially in high-risk patients or revision surgeries.
Posterior slope-correcting osteotomy is an emerging surgical approach for individuals with a steep posterior tibial slope, a factor that can predispose them to ACL injury.

Return to Sport and Activity

A 2025 systematic review found no significant difference in return-to-sport rates or activity levels between patients who underwent ACL reconstruction versus those managed with rehabilitation alone, underscoring the importance of individualized treatment decisions.

Rehabilitation Trends

Rehabilitation protocols are continually evolving, with a renewed focus on patient-specific risk assessment and customized surgical approaches.
The reintroduction of techniques like the Lemaire procedure, combined with ACL reconstruction, is supported by evidence demonstrating improved rotational stability and reduced graft failure rates.

Overall, 2025 research emphasizes tailored treatment plans that integrate repair or reconstruction with adjunctive procedures and optimized rehabilitation to enhance outcomes and mitigate long-term complications such, as osteoarthritis.

Sources:

The Upside Newsletter

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