<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1UZm!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1UZm!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1UZm!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1UZm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1UZm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1UZm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png" width="1456" height="968" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/aa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:968,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:8356808,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://leadvc.substack.com/i/172791015?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1UZm!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1UZm!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1UZm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1UZm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa199c63-a976-409b-8391-71c0279d27cb_2875x1912.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-reset icon-container restack-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-refresh-cw"><path d="M3 12a9 9 0 0 1 9-9 9.75 9.75 0 0 1 6.74 2.74L21 8"></path><path d="M21 3v5h-5"></path><path d="M21 12a9 9 0 0 1-9 9 9.75 9.75 0 0 1-6.74-2.74L3 16"></path><path d="M8 16H3v5"></path></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Now that the <a href="https://www.usopen.org/index.html">2025 US Open</a> is freshly in the books, it reminded us of a truth about sport:</strong> progress isn&#8217;t confined to the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Yes, the Open dazzled with AI-powered broadcast graphics, real-time Hawk-Eye line calls, and a new 15-day format that welcomed 70,000 extra fans. But the next era of racket sports isn&#8217;t just shaped under the spotlight&#8212;it&#8217;s being built quietly on community courts around the world.</p><p>That&#8217;s where <strong><a href="https://www.wingfield.io/en">Wingfield</a></strong> comes in.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://leadvc.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Subscribe now to receive the latest LEAD posts.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>The German sports tech startup&#8212;one of LEAD&#8217;s earliest investments&#8212;is redefining what &#8220;AI Courts&#8221; mean for tennis, pickleball, and padel. Their net-post device delivers pro-level video, analytics, and gamified training to schools, clubs, and rec centers&#8212;making insights once reserved for elite pros available to everyone.</p><h3>The Orlando Conversation</h3><p>Back in March at the LEAD Summit in Orlando, I approached <strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaan-brunken-a892a09a/">Jaan Brunken</a>, COO &amp; Co-Founder of Wingfield</strong>, to grab a quick soundbite for our highlight reel. Just a handshake, a line to camera, then back to production.</p><p>What I got instead was a conversation I&#8217;m still thinking about.</p><p>Jaan began by praising the Summit&#8212;how it felt founder-first in a way most events don&#8217;t. But minutes in, he shifted. We started talking about what happens when new technology meets everyday barriers in sport.</p><p>As someone who&#8217;s worked in tennis during the height of the pickleball boom, I was hooked. Jaan described how, on the pro tour, performance data and video analysis were everywhere. But for amateurs? Recreational players? Pickleball enthusiasts at the local park?</p><blockquote><p><em>&#8220;It was all locked behind the gate,&#8221;</em> he said.<em>&#8220;We knew that if we could bring that level of insight to everyday racket sports players, it would completely change how they trained&#8212;and how they saw themselves.&#8221;</em></p></blockquote><p>That wasn&#8217;t a product pitch. It was a purpose.</p><h3>Wingfield&#8217;s New AI Milestone in Pickleball</h3><p>That conversation feels even more relevant now. <a href="https://www.wingfield.io/blog/partnership-dupr">Wingfield just announced</a> a landmark partnership with <strong><a href="https://thepicklr.com/">The Picklr</a>, <a href="https://www.dupr.com/">DUPR</a>, and <a href="https://www.duprcoach.com/">DUPR Coach</a></strong>&#8212;launching the sport&#8217;s first <strong>end-to-end, AI-powered pathway for player development</strong> in pickleball.</p><p>Players begin with a <strong>standardized, AI-analyzed assessment</strong> that measures core skills like serve, return, volley, and dink. Coaches then layer human insight on top of the data, creating a <strong>transparent skill profile</strong> that removes the guesswork.</p><p>For the first time, those assessments roll directly into <strong>official DUPR ratings</strong>&#8212;not just for initial placement, but for competitive play. Every verified match on a Wingfield-enabled court now automatically updates a player&#8217;s DUPR.</p><p>The impact? Walk into a Picklr club, complete your first AI assessment, and immediately start building a verified rating that reflects both training and competition.</p><p>This isn&#8217;t just technology&#8212;it&#8217;s infrastructure. By making <strong>AI Courts</strong> the standard for pickleball development, Wingfield is setting the benchmark for how emerging sports can grow with fairness, precision, and excitement.</p><h3>AI Courts for Every Racket Sport</h3><p>Wingfield&#8217;s Tech-enabled courts transform any court into a training ground with:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Tennis</strong> &#8594; Match footage, serve speeds, rally analytics, verified tournament validation</p></li><li><p><strong>Pickleball</strong> &#8594; Gamified drills, highlight creation, performance tracking, and now DUPR integration</p></li><li><p><strong>Padel &amp; beyond</strong> &#8594; The same infrastructure applies, because Wingfield isn&#8217;t tied to one game, but to the <em>entire racket ecosystem</em></p></li></ul><p>Already installed on <strong>1,000+ courts across 500+ locations</strong>, Wingfield is serving more than <strong>80,000 players worldwide</strong>. And with its U.S. expansion through <strong>Har-Tru</strong>, the country&#8217;s leading court builder, the next wave of AI Courts could be just down the street&#8212;from high schools and college programs to rec centers and neighborhood clubs.</p><h3>The US Open Connection</h3><p>The Open has always been more than matches&#8212;it&#8217;s where tradition meets transformation. From the tiebreak in 1970, to equal prize money in 1973, Hawk-Eye in 2006, and the roof over Arthur Ashe in 2016&#8212;the tournament has consistently set new standards.</p><p>Each change reshaped the sport. And just as the Open raised the bar at the professional level, Wingfield is doing the same for players everywhere else.</p><h3>From Hamburg to Flushing Meadows</h3><p>When I think back to my conversation with Jaan, what struck me most wasn&#8217;t the technology&#8212;it was the philosophy.</p><blockquote><p><em>&#8220;We&#8217;re not just digitizing courts,&#8221; Jaan told me in Orlando. &#8220;We&#8217;re reimagining what&#8217;s possible when every player&#8212;tennis, pickleball, or padel&#8212;has access to the tools the pros take for granted.&#8221;</em></p></blockquote><p>That belief connects Wingfield&#8217;s journey from Hamburg to Har-Tru, from European federations to U.S. schools, from everyday players to the spectacle of Flushing Meadows.</p><h3>Charting the Future of Racket Sports</h3><p>The US Open showcased progress at the highest level. Wingfield is democratizing it at the local level. Together, they tell the story of where racket sports are headed. Tech-enabled courts are here to stay.</p><p>They&#8217;re not just tracking serves and shots.<br>They&#8217;re charting the future of racket sports&#8212;<strong>one court at a time.</strong></p><p><strong>Let&#8217;s Talk</strong><br>Building something that bridges access, ambition, and analytics? We&#8217;re listening. Pitch us at <strong>dealflow@lead.vc</strong> or tag us <strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/lead-vc">@LEAD_vc</a></strong> on any of your favorite social media platforms. </p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://leadvc.substack.com/p/wingfield-and-the-future-of-ai-courts?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Feel free to share this with anyone who might find it insightful. And leave a comment to let us know your thoughts on the inclusions of AI in sports. </p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://leadvc.substack.com/p/wingfield-and-the-future-of-ai-courts?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://leadvc.substack.com/p/wingfield-and-the-future-of-ai-courts?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div>

Fresh off the US Open, Wingfield is proving that the next wave of racket sport innovation isn’t on center court—it’s on AI Courts everywhere.

Wingfield and the Future of AI Courts: US Open 2025 + Beyond

Club Fútbol Estrela Amadora | Lisbon, Portugal | August 25, 2026

LEAD’s First-Ever Sports Team Ownership

<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c8dD!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c8dD!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c8dD!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c8dD!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c8dD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c8dD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png" width="1456" height="968" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:968,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:7250075,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://leadvc.substack.com/i/169752009?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c8dD!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c8dD!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c8dD!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c8dD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bfc9efa-4d13-4997-93f7-8cc5c3072bd0_2875x1912.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-reset icon-container restack-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-refresh-cw"><path d="M3 12a9 9 0 0 1 9-9 9.75 9.75 0 0 1 6.74 2.74L21 8"></path><path d="M21 3v5h-5"></path><path d="M21 12a9 9 0 0 1-9 9 9.75 9.75 0 0 1-6.74-2.74L3 16"></path><path d="M8 16H3v5"></path></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Over the past 40 years, media innovation has largely focused on what we see. What we <em>hear</em>&#8212;and how we experience it&#8212;has barely evolved. Despite being an $82B market, audio has lagged far behind visual technology in innovation. For every dollar invested in visual tech, audio has received only a fraction, and patents in audio have grown at less than half the rate of those in imaging.</p><p><a href="https://www.edgesoundresearch.com/">EDGE Sound Research</a> is rewriting that script.</p><blockquote><p>&#8221;Our rationale for this investment centers on the market's recognition that the way humans &#8216;hear&#8217; (audio) has lacked innovation over the past forty years, especially when compared to advancements in the way humans &#8216;see&#8217; (media). Our enthusiasm for this investment stems from the solution's potential to address specific pain points across multiple industries, including sports, entertainment, automotive, and robotics.&#8221; - Justin Driscoll, Principal @ LEAD</p></blockquote><p><strong>Why Sound is the Next Frontier</strong></p><p>Audio limitations already constrain emerging tech&#8212;think VR headsets that deliver stunning visuals but rely on flat, two-dimensional soundscapes that break immersion. With over 20 million VR/AR headsets sold globally in 2024, the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8dWKCZA-Uw/">lack of spatially intelligent audio is a glaring gap</a> - overcoming it is key to fully realizing these experiences.</p><ul><li><p><strong>Immersive Tech Gap:</strong> VR/AR adoption is skyrocketing, yet spatial audio lags behind.</p></li><li><p><strong>Market Growth:</strong> The audio market is projected to triple to $275B by 2032.</p></li></ul><p>EDGE&#8217;s platform&#8212;spanning capture, processing, rendering, and reproduction&#8212;is creating a new category: <strong>intelligent audio.</strong></p><p>This isn&#8217;t just about louder or clearer sound. It&#8217;s about enabling computers to <em>understand</em> and <em>reproduce</em> sound in ways that feel human in immersive live sports, personalized broadcasts, and eventually, machines that hear and react like we do.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://leadvc.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Subscribe to receive the latest LEAD posts.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><strong>The Founders Who Hear Differently</strong></p><p>EDGE was born from two deeply personal journeys:</p><ul><li><p><strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/valsalomaki/">Valtteri Salomaki</a> (CEO):</strong> A serial entrepreneur with a knack for B2B sales in sports and entertainment</p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethancastro/">Ethan Castro</a> (CTO):</strong> Born hard of hearing, Ethan became a professional musician by training himself to <em>feel</em> sound.</p></li></ul><p>Together, they bridge technical brilliance and commercial execution&#8212;turning what was once academic research into real-world deployments.</p><p><strong>Why We Backed EDGE</strong></p><p>Fan feedback from early <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMBo5kto0jo/">NBA arena deployments</a> showed a double-digit increase in reported engagement and immersion compared to traditional seating, underscoring the demand for this technology. Revenue tied to these installations has also grown steadily, reinforcing the commercial opportunity.</p><p>Our conviction rests on three pillars:</p><ol><li><p><strong>Category Creation:</strong> A first-of-its-kind intelligent audio stack with applications across live events, broadcast, automotive, and robotics.</p></li><li><p><strong>Real-World Traction:</strong> Deployments with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Fox Sports, and MLS validate demand.</p></li><li><p><strong>Platform Potential:</strong> From immersive fan experiences to teaching robots to hear, EDGE is building infrastructure for the next decade of sound.</p></li></ol><p><strong>What&#8217;s Next</strong></p><p>By this time next year, EDGE expects to double its number of venue installations and broadcast integrations, aligning with the broader convergence of AI in broadcast and robotics adoption.</p><p>With a $2.5M seed extension anchored by strategic partners like Sweetwater, EDGE is scaling Embodied Sound installations, commercializing its Virtual Sound Engine for broadcast, and exploring robotics integrations.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1tDruvLnsv/">future of audio</a> won&#8217;t just be heard&#8212;it will be <em>felt,</em> <em>personalized,</em> and ultimately <em>understood.</em> We&#8217;re thrilled to back EDGE as they make intelligent sound infrastructure a reality.</p><p>Edge Sound Research has <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/06/27/usta-ventures-invests-in-edge-sound-research/">raised $2.75M in new funding</a>, bringing the audio innovation startup&#8217;s total backing to $5.5M. The latest round was led by Elevate Ventures and included participation from USTA Ventures, the DeVos family, LEAD VC, Cartan Capital, and Potential Capital, among other angel investors in the audio and entertainment space.</p><p><em>Disclosure: EDGE Sound Research participated in the inaugural <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/04/18/magic-select-five-companies-in-inaugural-magic-venture-challenge/">Orlando Magic Venture Challenge</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://leadvc.substack.com/p/why-we-invested-in-edge-sound-research?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading! Feel feel free to share it with someone who it resonates with.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://leadvc.substack.com/p/why-we-invested-in-edge-sound-research?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://leadvc.substack.com/p/why-we-invested-in-edge-sound-research?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div>

Reinventing audio for an immersive, AI-driven future.

Why We Invested in Edge Sound Research

<h3>What Is Throne?</h3><p>A passive, continuous health monitor embedded in your toilet seat turns a daily routine into valuable insights for gut health, hydration, and cancer detection. Throne is available today for stool and urine analysis and is designed as the &#8220;Whoop for Your Poop&#8221; for the 75 million Americans dealing with IBS, IBD, and prostate issues. The future version of Throne, known as the &#8220;Smoke Detector for Colon Cancer,&#8221; will expand its capabilities to include screening for one of the fastest-growing cancers in the United States.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IZ6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IZ6!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IZ6!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IZ6!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IZ6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IZ6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg" width="1200" height="630" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:630,&quot;width&quot;:1200,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:39385,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://leadvc.substack.com/i/208868655?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IZ6!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IZ6!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IZ6!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IZ6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6317f8f-6ae9-4516-ba0b-660001df7160_1200x630.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><p><span>Deciding to invest in a company usually hinges on two questions: 1) Will the founders find a way to succeed? 2) Is the target market large enough?</span></p><h3><span>Founder Bet</span></h3><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotthickle/"><span>Scott Hickle</span></a><span> is a founder who combines three qualities rarely found together: being a talent magnet, an obsession with solving the problem, and deep industry k</span><span data-color="#032b31" style="color: rgb(3, 43, 49);">nowledge. His motivation is straightforward &#8212; he&#8217;s passionate about saving lives and wants the Throne device on every accessible toilet. If you don&#8217;t believe us&#8230; His social handle is &#8220;</span><a href="https://x.com/ScottHickle"><span data-color="#032b31" style="color: rgb(3, 43, 49);">Poop Guy</span></a><span data-color="#032b31" style="color: rgb(3, 43, 49);">,&#8221; and he gave a </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v42gznW6cuA"><span data-color="#032b31" style="color: rgb(3, 43, 49);">TED Talk </span></a><span data-color="#032b31" style="color: rgb(3, 43, 49);">on the history and significance of poop.</span></p><p><span data-color="#032b31" style="color: rgb(3, 43, 49);">Chasing an introduction to Throne kicked off an organic 18-month relationship before a check was written. We introduced him to multiple investo</span><span>rs who then joined this round, connected him with enterprise customers who remain engaged, and brought him before clinicians who initially questioned but ultimately left as believers in his right to win. Scott exemplifies a founder willing to bend reality with passionate intensity to make his business succeed.</span></p><p><span>His effectiveness is evident in the people he&#8217;s assembled. Scott recruited John Capodilupo, co-founder of Whoop and a key technical figure behind the $10B consumer health startup, who personally relates to the problem&#8212;living with ulcerative colitis. Scott also persuaded Ben Grynol, who previously led consumer growth at Levels, to join Throne. Scott established a medical advisory board with Dr. David Rubin and Dr. Mark Pimentel, renowned researchers with over 10,000 combined citations in IBS/IBD. Scott attracted an investor syndicate such as Emerson Collective, Will Ventures, Moxxie Ventures, Felix Capital, and Accomplice (an early supporter of Whoop).</span></p><h3><span>Market Bet</span></h3><p><span>In consumer health technology, continuous tracking now covers sleep, heart rate, glucose, and hormones, providing daily insights into bodily functions that influence habits. Despite valuable clinical signals from bathroom data, this area has received little to no attention. Wearables like Whoop and Oura needed to convince users that tracking HRV and sleep was important, but Throne doesn&#8217;t face that hurdle. This is because its core users have less need for education and face immediate health concerns. Patients with IBD, IBS, and prostate issues already understand the importance of monitoring symptoms, yet lack easy methods beyond memory, spreadsheets, or guesswork. Throne&#8217;s passive approach makes sustained long-term behavior change feasible. Over time, it reveals how factors like sleep, alcohol, medication, stress, and diet shape personal patterns, transforming passive data into actionable insights. This potential creates billions in enterprise value but isn&#8217;t the ultimate swing.</span></p><p><span>As Throne develops colon cancer screening features, its audience grows significantly, unlocking a new dimension of value&#8212;an extension many other consumer health devices are racing to build. Colon cancer is among the fastest-growing cancers in the U.S., increasingly affecting those under 50 and steering market interest toward early detection. While Cologuard, as the market leader, generates over $2 billion annually with a binary test, Throne aims to address an earlier need: helping individuals proactively understand how to prevent cancer before testing becomes necessary. Colon cancer is often preventable and highly treatable if caught early. If Throne can passively detect clinical signals without requiring behavioral changes, it will give larger diagnostic companies a strategic reason to view it as a frontline tool in cancer prevention, ultimately saving lives.</span></p><p>We are excited to back the incredible people, mission, and vision at <a href="https://thronescience.com/">Throne</a>!</p>

Strong conviction in world-class founders building a multi-billion-dollar consumer play around gut health and cancer detection.

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