Danu Sports is a provider of sports analytics technology for wearables. It has raised EUR3.5m through a Series A round led by CastleGate Investments. This Tommy Kelly investment vehicle also owns Sherry Fitzgerald.
Danu Sport stated that the funding round will help create 10 jobs and commercialize Danu’s wearable tech solutions.
Enterprise Ireland raised EUR400,000 from taxpayers to fund the round, increasing the agency’s exposure in the venture to EUR700,000.
In November 2020, HBAN angel investors and Enterprise Ireland provided initial funding of EUR600,000. In November 2021, CastleGate joined the board with EUR465,000.
The European Space Agency’s BIC program has supported the company.
CastleGate has nominated two directors to Danu’s board. They are Jason Crawford and Hype, Adidas’ global vice president.
Oisin (31) founded Danu in 2017. Danu developed a wearable movement analysis system that provides injury and performance analysis ‘in-the field’ to laboratory-based accuracy.
Danu is a sensor-integrated smart socks company that offers a mobile app for live analysis and a professional analytics platform. His initial target is professional athletes, clinicians, and strength and conditioning coaches.
Danu’s technology analyzes a variety of activities and can be used to do so across multiple athletes. These activities include Velocity-Based Training, Plyometrics, and Gait Analysis.
Technology and fabric engineering have been created to meet bespoke specifications. This collaboration involved academia (University of Limerick), Northumbria University (Northumbria University), Munster Technological University (Leeds Beckett University) and industry (Design Partners In Bray and IMME Electronics Engineers (Dundrum).
The company believes that movement analysis systems can also have applications in the medical arena and human health.
“It has proven capability to inform diagnosis, disease severity, progression, and therapeutic response of Parkinson’s disease and stroke,” says the firm.
“Eldercare providers can also use movement analysis to inform targeted intervention for those likely to fall, whilst the technology can also assist orthopedic outpatients in their recovery.”
