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SIQ Basketball
Techstars '23Charlotte, US · 4 known investors
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SIQ (now Spalding TF DNA) develops smart basketballs equipped with sensor technology that track performance metrics. The product is designed for basketball players and coaches.
Also known as SIQ · Spalding TF DNA · SportIQ
Investors · 4
How we know: av.vc · Not right? Tell us
How we know: the Techstars portfolio · funding news · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · Not right? Tell us
How we know: funding news · sportsbusinessjournal.com · Not right? Tell us
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$3M disclosed across 1 of 2 rounds · 2022
- $3MSeedMay 2022 · 3 sources
KB Partners, Tera Ventures
Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Sep 2026SIQ Basketball develops a sensor-equipped basketball and a paired mobile application that record and analyse shooting performance. The ball contains an internal patented 9D sensor described as capturing more than 190 data points per shot without altering the weight or flight of the ball, with a stated sensor service life of about 500 hours of tracking. The companion iOS app, published by developer SportIQ, logs makes, misses, swishes and shot locations, and reports release time, release angle (shot arc), spin rate, shot consistency, shot situation (off-the-dribble, off-the-pass, or relaxed as in a free throw) and shot accuracy. The app also uses AI to distinguish between separate shooters in real time, generates best and worst shooting locations, and includes contests, games and world rankings. HealthKit is used to obtain the user's height.
The product line is sold directly from the company's online store. The SIQ Smart Basketball is offered as a leather-composite ball in indoor and outdoor styles and in Men's/official size 7 (29.5"), Women's/Youth size 6 (28.5") and Youth (27.5") sizes, generally bundled with an app subscription; ball listings on the store were shown as sold out. Subscription products include monthly, biannual and annual SIQ memberships, Shooter and Shooter Pro tiers, a Coach membership, gift cards, and TF DNA annual memberships, priced from $6.99 per month up to $199.99. The site states the brand has transitioned to Spalding TF DNA and directs buyers to the Spalding TF DNA smart ball, with a separate path for international customers.
Business model
Hardware-plus-subscription: customers buy a sensor-equipped basketball, typically bundled with a recurring app membership that unlocks tracking and analytics. Memberships are sold monthly, biannually and annually, alongside coach-specific tiers and gift cards.
Revenue comes from one-time sales of the smart basketball (listed around $99.99-$199.99 depending on bundle) and recurring app subscriptions ranging from $6.99-$19.99 per month and $47.94-$155.88 for multi-month or annual plans, plus gift cards.
Traction
The iOS app holds a 4.6 average rating from 577 ratings, with reviews from a self-identified NBA shooting coach as well as users reporting connectivity, session-data loss and account-registration problems. The online store lists 15 products, most ball SKUs showing as sold out.
Latest developments
The company's storefront announces that SIQ is now Spalding TF DNA and routes customers to the Spalding TF DNA smart ball. The iOS app's most recent listed release, version 2.1.24 on 2024-07-23, contained fixes and minor improvements.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Positioned as a FIBA-approved smart basketball offering shooting analytics comparable to those used by professional players and shooting coaches, now marketed under the Spalding TF DNA brand.
Sensor integrated inside a regulation ball rather than an external device, a patented 9D sensor capturing over 190 data points per shot, real-time AI identification of individual shooters, and a claim of FIBA approval.
Technology
A patented 9D motion sensor embedded inside a leather-composite basketball streams shot data to a mobile app. The sensor is stated not to affect the ball's weight or flight and to have roughly a 500-hour service life. The app derives makes, misses, swishes, shot location, release time, release angle, spin rate, consistency, shot situation and accuracy, and applies AI to separate multiple shooters in real time and to identify strongest and weakest court locations.
Go-to-market
Direct-to-consumer sales through the company's own online store, including international ordering, combined with a free iOS app that requires both a ball and a subscription to collect data. The brand has been folded into the Spalding TF DNA product line, and endorsements from shooting coaches feature in app store reviews.
Basketball players across skill levels from beginners and youth to professionals, as well as shooting coaches and teams; the product is also positioned as a consumer gift purchase.
Geography
Headquarters in the United States with online sales including a dedicated path for international customers; the funding round was covered by Nordic startup press.
History
The company raised a $3 million round announced in May 2022 to accelerate growth and drive national expansion, reported by investor KB Partners and in the company's own newsroom. Its product and brand subsequently transitioned to Spalding TF DNA.
Risks & controversies
App Store reviews from 2022-2024 report recurring software problems, including sessions disconnecting mid-use, lost or erased shot statistics, and registration and device-transfer loops that users said were unresolved by support. Most ball variants on the online store are listed as sold out.
Compiled by commissioned research from 9 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Related companies · 7
Companies working in the same space as SIQ Basketball.
Timeline · 3
launches, deals, and filingsThe company's website states that SIQ is now Spalding TF DNA and directs customers to the Spalding TF DNA smart ball; TF DNA memberships are sold in the store.
App update containing smaller improvements and fixes.
SIQ Basketball announced a $3 million round, described by Nordic startup press as a seed round, intended to accelerate growth and drive national expansion.
$3M source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 9
primary sources listed
- SIQ Basketballsiqbasketball.com · web
9 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does SIQ Basketball do?
- SIQ Basketball, now branded Spalding TF DNA, makes a sensor-equipped smart basketball and companion shot-tracking app.
- Who are SIQ Basketball's investors?
- SIQ Basketball's investors include Alumni Ventures, Charmides Capital, Techstars, Tera Ventures.
- How much funding has SIQ Basketball raised?
- SIQ Basketball has disclosed $3M raised across 1 of its 2 known rounds.
- Where is SIQ Basketball headquartered?
- SIQ Basketball is headquartered in Charlotte, US.