QSTP-funded sportstech startup to identify football stars of the future

Doha, Qatar : Twelve months from now, the much-anticipated FIFA World Cup 2022™ will have kicked-off in Qatar. Millions of sports fans will be watching and listening to the first-ever World Cup tournament to be held in the Arab world, with supporters from around the world set to travel to Qatar to attend matches and experience the country in person.

Businesses operating in the sports sector have their sights firmly set on the tournament, and one that is specifically looking to reach new heights is sKora, a Qatar-based sportstech start-up that has recently benefited from the Tech Venture Fund (TVF) of Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation Research, Development and Innovation (QF RDI).

Soccer Agency Recommender, sKora’s unique product offering, uses its one-of-a-kind Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to serve the vast population of aspiring professional footballers who do not have the means to afford, or access to obtain, expert athletic career advice.

The product recommends to players aiming to pursue a career in football a potential pathway that they can follow. This reduces the complexity of the processes involved in recruiting them and makes the sport more accessible, so that the next big stars of the game can be found quicker and set up to succeed.

sKora’s distinctive AI platform also stands out from the rest of the market, as it was developed here in Qatar, as opposed to its competitors who are largely based in Europe. This gives footballers in the Arab world who are keen to make it big – perhaps in one of the major European or South American football leagues – a great springboard to launch their careers.

“Technological advancements in football have unlocked unprecedented opportunities for growth in the sports industry,” sKora’s CEO, Adel Saad, said. “The introduction of data into professional football has pushed us towards digitalizing the sports agency business through automation and machine learning processes. Using our platform, customized AI-driven pathways are recommended for each player depending on their own skill set, traits and situation, away from biased views and opinions.”

The FIFA World Cup 2022™ is a natural milestone for the company, by which time sKora will have been able to scale and deliver a much bigger impact on the international and local football community. Until then, the start-up is looking to use the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™, which kicked-off in Qatar on November 30 2021, as a catalyst to grow its user base.

“The Arab Cup is our opportunity to put our tactics to the test,” Saad said. “We are leveraging the event to run a program which will, for the first time, enable local and international footballers across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to join a trial with a Qatari football club and have an opportunity to be scouted.”

The dedicated work undertaken by the team at sKora has already borne fruit via a recent partnership with Lusail Sports Club, which aims to provide young and aspiring players with an opportunity to demonstrate their talent during a three-day program – the first of its kind in Qatar. The program will present a chance for players to compete in a professionally immersive environment while receiving training from UEFA-certified coaches.

Commenting on the support the team has received through the TVF, Saad said: “As an incubated start-up, QSTP has been a massive support throughout our journey. After receiving the funds from TVF, we were able to recruit many aspiring and talented interns from QF partner universities, who have now become full-time employees at sKora. TVF has been instrumental in propelling our start-up forward, taking us from the angel investment stage to working in the institutional investment space. The funding is ultimately allowing us to accelerate both our product development and marketing operations.”

Data and statistics on how the game is played, and how players and teams can gain a competitive advantage, are more important than ever in football. With enormous amounts of money in players’ transfer fees and wages often depending on those numbers, sKora is determined to play its part in the digital side of the sport.

“With the sports technology industry estimated to be worth USD $18 billion (QAR 65.5 billion) and expected to have a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18 percent between 2021 and 2026, sKora wants to be a key player in this particular ‘game’,” said Saad.

“We will initially recruit in the MENA region to optimize and identify prospective professional talent. In the future, sKora platform will create modules specifically for players, coaches, teams, and sponsors. The platform will offer all parties the most efficient method of providing athletes the best possible advice for a successful career trajectory, while simultaneously providing clubs a pool of data-backed athletes to choose from.” Saad continued.

QSTP’s TVF is a strategic venture capital fund designed to support local innovative start-ups and attract international ones looking to scale in the region. TVF plays a critical role in developing the innovation ecosystem in Qatar through the support it provides to start-ups, including those like sKora. The fund provides opportunities for local, regional, and global tech founders and entrepreneurs to source seed-stage funding and follow-on capital. It also seeks to lower the barriers of entry to starting a tech company in the market.

To apply and find out more about QSTP’s TVF please visit: https://qstp.org.qa/tech-venture-fund/ 

To learn more about sKora and the brilliant team behind the startup, please visit: https://www.skoratech.com/ 

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Qatar Science & Technology Park

Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation Research, Development and Innovation (QF RDI), is a Free Zone, accelerator and incubator for tech-product development in Qatar. The Park fosters an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Qatar that works to accelerate commercialization of market-ready technologies to realize Qatar’s national diversification drive.

QSTP’s focus ranges across four overarching themes, comprising Energy, Environment, Health Sciences and Information & Communication Technologies (ICT), in line with the Qatar National Research Strategy announced in 2012.

Located in Qatar Foundation's Education City, QSTP has access to the vital resources of a cluster of leading research universities. Members of QSTP’s Free Zone include Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), international corporations and research institutions. They are collectively committed to investing in new technology development programs, creating intellectual property, enhancing technology management skills and developing innovative new products.

QSTP supports QF RDI’s economic and human development objectives for Qatar and is increasingly recognized as an international hub for applied research, innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship.

For more information, please visit the QSTP website at www.qstp.org.qa 

Qatar Foundation Research, Development and Innovation (QF RDI)

The Qatar Foundation Research, Development and Innovation (QF RDI) division’s role is to play an integral part in identifying and addressing challenges and opportunities across ICT, energy, environment and healthcare, in alignment with Qatar’s national RDI strategy and priorities. QF RDI is at the forefront of Qatar’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, accelerating economic development through supporting the commercialization of market-ready technologies and facilitating the creation of new high-tech products and services.

QF RDI is responsible for translating Qatar’s national RDI strategy into specific initiatives and actions for Qatar Foundation’s (QF) RDI entities. It also directs their efforts in relation to economic value creation, knowledge transfer and the establishment of mutually beneficial national and international RDI partnerships. To ensure these efforts deliver maximum impact, the QF Vice President for Research, Development and Innovation plans, coordinates and oversees all RDI-related activities across QF.

Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, research and development and community development.

QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development.

QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all.

For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, please visit: www.qf.org.qa 
For any media inquiries, please contact: pressoffice@qf.org.qa 

© Press Release 2021