Former Tesla Engineer Reinvents Tennis Experience with AI: SwingVision Puts 'Hawk-Eye' in Your Phone

SwingVision APP launched exclusively on the Apple App Store in 2019. Users simply mount an iPhone or iPad about 1.5 meters high behind the baseline, start recording, and SwingVision uses its patented AI visual tracking technology to transform the device into a personal "Hawk-Eye" and analysis system, enabling multiple functions:

• Precise Tracking: Measures the actual distance of the tennis ball from the baseline and sideline, providing reliable electronic line calling.

• In-Depth Analysis: Provides shot speed, landing point distribution, and accuracy scores for forehand, backhand, and serve.

• Motion Statistics: Calculates the total distance a player runs during a match, fully quantifying on-court performance.

SwingVision is headquartered in San Mateo, Silicon Valley, and both founders have extensive computer science and data backgrounds:

• Founder and CEO Swupnil Sahai holds a bachelor's degree in Economics, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics from UC Berkeley, and a PhD in Statistics from Columbia University. Before SwingVision, he was a Senior Computer Vision Engineer on Tesla's autonomous driving team and a finance intern at Apple.

• Co-founder and CTO Richard Hsu, Sahai's college roommate, holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley and a master's degree in Computer Science from Stanford University. His career includes roles as a software engineer at LinkedIn, developer at AI company Accompany, and technical leadership at Cisco.

SwingVision was initially inspired by Sahai's idea of using Apple Watch sensors to measure swing speed and keep score. Starting from scratch, the duo taught themselves Swift programming language on Apple's platform, turning SwingVision development from a side project into a full-time endeavor. In 2016, they released the prototype "Swing."

Today, SwingVision continues to innovate training modes. For example, users can set "target zones" on the court and practice serves with Apple Watch. Each time the ball lands in the zone, the watch emits different sounds and provides visual feedback, making tedious training fun. Recently, the app launched a "Coach Commentary" feature, where users upload videos and receive real-time text commentary or even video analysis with live narration from partner coaches.

Funding: SwingVision received early personal investments from athletes like Andy Roddick. In April 2022, SwingVision secured $2 million in funding led by Wildcard Ventures, the Australian Open's venture fund—the fund's first investment. A year later, SwingVision raised another $6 million in a round led by Authentic Ventures, with participation from Lindsay Davenport and others.

Currently, SwingVision is the official player and tracking app for Tennis Australia, the All England Club (LTA), and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITA). Moreover, SwingVision is expanding into sports like pickleball and padel.

｜Image source: SwingVision official website, official Facebook