Calgary-based sports data company StellarAlgo has signed a multi-year, league-wide deal with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The deal, announced Wednesday, also includes a “meaningful” equity stake in the company for the NBA.
Vincent Ircandia said it helps sports organizations and makes it easier to be a fan.
“This partnership with the NBA and its teams is a testament to their belief in our platform and our shared vision for the future of fan engagement,” said co-founder Vincent Ircandia, in a media statement.
“We are excited about the opportunities ahead of us and the impact we will create together.”
StellarAlgo collects fan data from league and team sources (venues, e-commerce, social media, marketing and advertising channels) and provides a single dashboard for the fan experience. It allows teams to identify different fan segments to connect with them at the right time, with the right message.
They boast more than 5 billion data points across 100 million unique records and a proprietary machine learning technology.
LWC first spoke with Ircandia and StellarAlgo back in 2019.
At the time, work was being done with the Okotoks Dawgs Western Baseball League team.
Calgary-based Thin Air Labs managing partner James Lochrie was one of the first angel investors in StellarAlgo. He said the NBA deal is the validation of the value StellarAlgo is bringing to the fan experience. It’s an enormous milestone for the company – and for the continued momentum in Calgary’s tech scene, Lochrie said.
“Any company growing as quickly as StellarAlgo will create new, high-paying jobs within the Calgary ecosystem,” he said.
“Just as importantly, StellarAlgo is one of a handful of companies in the city that is showing other local entrepreneurs that it is possible to create this type of venture in Calgary. You don’t have to go to San Francisco, Toronto or any other place to find global success.”
Deepening their relationship with the NBA
The Calgary tech company previously had a relationship with the Brooklyn Nets, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Sacramento Kings and the Portland TrailBlazers – where Ircandia once worked. The agreement will now include all 30 NBA teams.
“The NBA is pleased to partner with StellarAlgo to create new strategic opportunities to enable our teams to engage efficiently with their fans in more personalized ways across the global sports and entertainment landscape,” said David Lee, Head of NBA Equity.
“We strongly believe the company has tremendous growth potential, and as a strategic partner and a meaningful shareholder, we’re looking forward to helping StellarAlgo achieve those goals.”
In November 2021, the company secured $16.5 million in Series A funding in a funding round led by Carallas Holdings.
