The AI Takes the Field, from the LND to the local Pitch. VEO’s News at SFS 25
Veo returns to the Social Football Summit (SFS) for its second official participation, confirming its position as one of the most innovative partners at the intersection of sport and technology. Born in Denmark with the mission to democratize high-level sports analysis, Veo has revolutionized the way amateur and youth teams record and analyze their matches. The core of their offering is an AI-powered camera that autonomously records sporting events without the need for an operator. Last year, Veo told us about its expansion into key markets and its philosophy of accessibility.
Today, the company is attending the SFS as an Exhibitor with a host of new features that not only broaden their technological horizon but also further reinforce their commitment to grassroots football and continuous innovation. We met with Riccardo Mele, Market Manager for Italy at Veo, to take stock of recent launches, strategic partnerships in Italy, and the topics they will bring to the stage in Rome.
Welcome back to SFS 25. Let’s start with your mission: to democratize sport. What have been the most significant corporate evolutions over the last year and, Riccardo, how is this mission concretely translated into the future?
“Our mission remains unshakeable: to bring advanced and accessible technology to all levels of sport. The most exciting evolution in this sense was the launch, in September, of VeoGO. We recognized that, for many amateur groups, teams of friends, or families, the investment in a Veo Cam was still an obstacle. VeoGO addresses this need: it is a solution that, with a simple tripod, allows you to use two iPhones instead of our dedicated camera. A third iPhone controls the recording. The result is excellent audio-video quality and the ‘Veo effect’ at a cost of only a subscription, which is super accessible. It’s our most direct response to reach that market segment we couldn’t serve until now, confirming the idea that AI must be at the service of everyone, not just the elite”.
The sports tech sector is booming, and Artificial Intelligence is now your distinctive trait. Beyond VeoGO, how is the software platform for Veo Cam users evolving, and what is your vision on AI in football?
“Veo is to all intents and purposes an AI company. For Veo Cam users, we have introduced several new features, including a significant improvement in ball tracking and jersey recognition, with a more user-friendly screen and the ability to connect and analyze player movements (Player Spotlight was the first major step in this direction). The most important news, in which we are investing heavily, is “Coach Assist“. This is a feature, currently in Alpha version (and soon available in Italian), that goes beyond simple recording. The AI reads, interprets the data, and prepares a genuine report for the coach, providing tactical and analytical insights. We want to be clear: AI will never replace the human factor, but it will support it in optimizing time and work, allowing the coach to focus on the players’ development. In the future, we will work to transform the data we already possess—field and player mapping into customized outputs, potentially calculating distance traveled or estimating heart rate, with the ambitious goal of creating the world’s largest database of sports data“.
About Italy, we know you have established important partnerships. What is Veo’s approach to the Italian market and how do you balance your presence in amateur football with that in professional football?
“Italy is a key market. We are excited to have announced a partnership in September with the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti (LND), the largest partnership and the one that fits best with our mission, which gives us enormous visibility and scope in grassroots football. That is where we want to focus. Of course, we also have a presence in professional football, where elite clubs use our cameras, especially for their youth sectors. The case study with Hellas Verona, with whom we also produced a mini-documentary, is an example of this. And at the SFS, we will have a panel with FC Copenhagen, an important client of ours. However, our positioning remains faithful to accessibility; professionalism is a technological testing ground, but the heart of Veo beats in amateur and grassroots football, a sector in which we are also growing thanks to many local partnerships”.
You will be the protagonists of a panel at the SFS. What topics will you address with FC Copenhagen and how do they connect to the educational role that technology can assume?
“At this year’s Social Football Summit, we will talk about AI applied to football in a concrete way, dispelling any abstraction. VEO technology, in fact, has a profound impact that goes beyond simple tactics. We will talk about how the ease of recording helps the mental development and education of young players. Being able to review an episode in which a young person misbehaves, for example, and discussing it with them immediately afterwards, is a powerful educational tool. Furthermore, the possibility of immediately reviewing the dynamics of an injury is fundamental support for the medical staff. Finally, we will not forget the emotional aspect: rewatching a great goal, a successful play, is an emotional value that, given its origins, Veo holds very dear”.
Riccardo, let’s conclude with a brief comment on the Social Football Summit, of which you are a partner for the second year.
“The SFS is a wonderful event and an indispensable platform for us. In two days, you have the feeling that the entire Italian football industry gathers in the same place. It is a glamorous but extremely concrete event, the perfect environment for strategic networking and for comparing notes with competitors in a high-level location and with top-tier organization. We can’t wait to be there”.
