SportIQ’s IoT-embedded basketballs score big with NBA Launchpad selection - Related to score, care, raises, legaltech, nba

Danish legaltech Pandektes raises €2.9M to streamline casework

Danish legaltech Pandektes has secured a €[website] Seed round from People Ventures, German fund Interface Capital and Nordic business angels.

Pandektes' AI software enables legal professionals to navigate legislation, find case law, prompt legal queries and get answers and build knowledge-bases via its organised and searchable databases.

With this new legal research platform, Pandektes aims to dismantle jurisdictional barriers in Europe and build an enormous legal database with millions of legal data from across the EU. Its services are used by legal councils, public institutions and large law firms in Germany and Denmark.

With the new investment they will expand their database of rulings across all EU jurisdictions aiming to build a platform that covers the entire EU.

"Legal professionals currently have access to only a small fraction of the legal resources they need. In Denmark, for example, lawyers can access less than half a percent of all court rulings each year. Our AI tool changes that by making more of these rulings available, searchable, and easy to find. This will enhance the rule of law, promote greater transparency in legal practice, and significantly boost efficiency in the industry. What used to take days of legal research, we can now accomplish in seconds. That’s a true revolution," says Casper Laursen, CEO of Pandektes.

The firm was founded in 2023 by Casper Laursen and Søren Brokær.

“Our competitive advantage is that we can cover an international market which means that a French or a German ruling can be used as a source in a Polish court case. Without Pandektes that would be impossible because you would have to search in foreign databases in languages that you wouldn't understand. We are going to build the largest legal database in Europe,” he elaborated.

“This is a perfect example of how artificial intelligence is going to strengthen the legal industry,” added principal and CFO in People Ventures, Magnus Sagsted. “Pandektes has had an impressive growth rate, they’ve built a comprehensive product in a very short time and they are working on a market with little competition that screams for innovation. Most critical of all, they’ve built a product that they’re end-customers are happy about in a market that has been monopoly-driven for years."

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SportIQ’s IoT-embedded basketballs score big with NBA Launchpad selection

Finnish sportstech startup SportIQ, the producer of smart basketballs and shooting data software, has been selected for the NBA Launchpad program for 2025.

Founded in 2017 by serial entrepreneur Harri Hohteri, the startup sold its first smart basketball in 2020, and the firm has since sold over 20,000 Spalding smart balls, which retail for $159, including a one-year subscription.

I spoke to CEO Erik Anderson to find out all about it.

SportIQ has developed a smart basketball with over 25 patents for recreational sports enthusiasts. It contains internal sensors, including a 9D sensor and AI technology, that track various aspects of each shot. The ball tracks 192 data points per shot and feeds data about shooting position, power, angle, and technique, amongst other things, to the mobile app, which then uses AI technology to analyse the data and give players direct feedback on improving their performance.

"Activating the ball is simple — just spin it to wake up the battery. The system instantly tracks and displays real-time data, including release speed, shot distance, and spin rate. If a shot is a swish, we detect that too."

AI and machine learning is at the core of the corporation's technology, and Anderson details that the corporation has analysed millions of shots.

Its main patent covers all recreational projectiles that track AI or ML events via radio frequency. While simply measuring spin doesn't fall under this patent, tracking key metrics like shot accuracy does.

"Our technology enables us to train algorithms to recognise and analyse different events. In basketball, for example, we need to distinguish between a pass and a shot — two actions that can appear very similar. We've developed an algorithm that accurately identifies whether an action is a pass or a shot.

Once connected to our app, the smart ball provides real-time analytics. As long as there's a net on the hoop, our AI-powered algorithms, trained to [website] per cent accuracy, can determine whether a shot was made or missed. Imagine a kid shooting in their backyard — our system can track that they took 100 shots and made 65."

Beyond simple shot tracking, SportIQ gamifies basketball, creating custom challenges, like making as many shots as possible from beyond 15 feet in 100 seconds. Its distance algorithm allows it to create leaderboards where players can see how they rank, fostering engagement and competition.

To date, SportIQ has already tracked over 20 million shots, helping players improve their shooting accuracy by 15 per cent with regular use.

"It's incredible to watch the numbers grow—kids are taking thousands of shots in just a week, all while balancing school and other activities. Our system also provides a progress bar, allowing players to track their improvement over time. They can review past sessions and analyse key metrics such as close-range, mid-range, and long-range accuracy, average release time, spin rate, and shot consistency. If a player's arc is too low or their shot is inconsistent, our AI provides personalised drill recommendations to help them improve."

Each ball has a service life of 500 hours - you can shoot for [website] hours every day for a year.

From a business perspective, SportIQ is unique in that it started with a consumer product, representing the largest sports market.

The firm first aimed to scale to the US at speed — at its inception, Finland had around 17, 000 registered basketball players compared to 30 million players in North America currently.

"If we had only focused on the professional level— NBA, some colleges, and maybe the EuroLeague — we'd be targeting a relatively small market. While that could generate a few million in annual revenue, the addressable market is limited, the sales cycle is long, and precision is critical."

In contrast, the consumer market includes hundreds of millions of basketball players worldwide who would benefit from a smart ball. Youth sports, in particular, represent the biggest opportunity in the industry. However the professional sports market not only opens up avenues to test the tech to its limits but also add exposure to millions of sports enthusiasts.

In this six-month NBA launchpad, the startup will have hands-on support and access to the NBA's resources to develop its technology further, culminating in SportIQ presenting its developments to NBA executives, partners, and investors during the NBA Summer League 2025.

The NBA is seeking technologies that can improve call accuracy, streamline the viewing experience, and increase decision-making transparency with an emphasis on finding new sensing modalities ([website], cameras, IMU, LiDAR, radar, depth sensors, ultrasonic sensors) and AI/ML software tools to assist with model development, and 3D visualisation engines to recreate plays from the data.

, the business is manufacturing and integrating the hardware directly into NBA basketballs.

"Since these are standard game balls with embedded technology, we need to consider all logistical aspects — including how equipment managers will charge them. Unlike other tech-driven sports solutions, we won't have dedicated personnel in every gym, so charging stations must be integrated seamlessly."

Beyond hardware, UX is critical; equipment managers will need a streamlined software interface, while game officials must be able to select and connect a ball for the entire duration of a game without interruptions. The startup also needs to build and install antennas in NBA arenas to ensure seamless connectivity and close to real-time data transmission.

Basketball is just a starting point, as SportIQ's sensor technology can be fitted into any kind of ball used in recreational and professional sports.

"If all goes well, we are soon ready to expand to new markets and sports," Anderson concludes.

Lead image: Erik Anderson and Harri Hohteri from SportIQ. Photo: uncredited.

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iV-GO: The first pole-free, fully mechanical IV pump for on-the-go care

IV treatment is one of the most traditional responsibilities of the nurse personnel provided to 90 per cent of hospitalised patients. Yet traditional IV poles significantly limit patient mobility, tethering them to a fixed location and making everyday activities like walking, using the restroom, or participating in physical therapy challenging, therefore increasing the nursing workload.

IV poles also pose safety risks — unstable structures can lead to falls, and manoeuvring them through crowded hallways, elevators, and hospital rooms increases the likelihood of patient and staff accidents.

Additionally, their bulky design contributes to clutter in high-traffic areas, creating physical obstacles. IV poles rely on gravity to administer fluids, and movement or height imbalances can disrupt the flow, necessitating frequent nurse intervention.

But now, a Danish startup has created the future of IV devices.

OSAA Innovation has developed iV-GO, the world's first fully portable and 100 per cent mechanical IV pump. It liberates individuals from the constraints of hospital beds and IV poles, allowing for treatment "on the go"— whether in hospitals, at home, or even outdoors.

I spoke to Ahmed Hessam, CEO and founder of OSAA Innovation, and QA/RA manager Alexei Cernenco to learn more.

Hessam is the inventor of iV-GO, which was inspired by seeing a child playing outside while her mother held her IV bag:

The initial concept began as a simple idea: a backpack with an IV pole sticking out of it. That let a young girl stay active and play while still receiving treatment. Over the following years, the idea evolved.

"One day, while casually fiddling with a pen, it broke, revealing a spring inside. Springs are fascinating because they generate energy when compressed and then release it as they push back. This mechanical principle became the foundation for our first prototype, which we called iV-GO."

The key advantage of iV-GO is its fully mechanical operation. Unlike electronic devices, it requires no batteries or charging, making it reliable in any environment. This feature ensures uninterrupted functionality, regardless of the setting.

The pump weighs less than two kilograms, even with a full IV bag, and allows patients to move freely during treatment. With a lightweight design and adjustable straps, it can be attached to a wheelchair or worn as a backpack while maintaining consistent pressure and infusion.

The device has garnered international attention as the corporation has won a variety of awards, including the Danish Venture Cup (2017), the Danish Design Award (2021), Red Dot Design (2022), Good Design (2023), Australian Good Design (2024) and German Design Awards (2025).

Due to complex procurement processes and lengthy sales cycles, medtech startups often face challenges selling their products to healthcare providers. , OSAA Innovation has successfully gained traction within hospitals by involving them early in development.

"With iV-GO and all our devices, we conduct extensive field research. We actively engage with nurses, asking what they need and want," Hessam explains.

"One of the most significant issues we've observed with highly technological solutions is their complexity, which leads to usability errors. To address this, we regularly return to hospitals to gather feedback on new elements, ensuring our designs are intuitive and practical. When nurses feel involved in the process, they're more likely to adopt and continue using the device once it's launched."

Since the introduction of the iV-GO, the organization has expanded to a suite of products, including connected iV2GO and iV2Vita with IoT monitoring, smart sensors and dashboard software, and the iV4GO Pro and iV4Vita Pro — an advanced infusion rate monitor and regulator designed to enhance the safety and efficiency of intravenous therapy. It includes treatment monitoring, a fall detection sensor, cloud connectivity, and an intuitive dashboard that offers reports and statistics.

An optional cloud-based system iV-View enables hospital staff to monitor multiple devices across wards, and access vital information on active treatments.

It notifies staff when treatment is nearing completion, enhancing workflow efficiency and patient care, while the digital record-keeping feature ensures accurate documentation, simplifying patient care and record management while ensuring full compliance with treatment plans.

The corporation is also developing an IV Warmer for transfusions that can help prevent hypothermia and improve patient comfort during IV therapy.

Cernenco explained that the iV-GO suite of iV devices is distinct because it is designed on an open system, which gives health care providers a lot of flexibility.

"Because all the systems are closed, staff need to use different tubing for different machines, and the ability to line interchangeably has attracted huge interest from nurses."

Further, the software is designed as a standard architecture that can be easily integrated into many different systems globally from Europe to Australia.

The enterprise has attracted significant interest from emergency service personnel and disaster relief service providers.

OSAA complies with ISO 1345 medical device standards, and the iV-GO is certified in Europe, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, with additional devices currently undergoing regulatory approval processes.

In terms of the security of connected devices, while IV pumps security vulnerabilities in the 2010s were disclosed by white hat hacker researchers, there have been no reported incidents of malicious hacking of pumps.

Cernenco emphasised the security-first approach, explaining that the community has both devices with one-way communication, "which makes them very secure and difficult to interfere with," and heightened cybersecurity measures for devices with two-way communication to ensure safety.

OSAA Innovation also prioritises transparent communication about safety elements, such as guardrails, to build trust and confidence among clinicians.

"It's essential for healthcare providers to feel secure when using our devices," Hessam adds. This commitment to usability and security has played a significant role in OSAA's growing success in medtech.

We're both developing and simultaneously certifying the new devices, which are next-generation devices. That will be, of course, our focus from now on. We always have a future."

OSAA Innovation expects to start manufacturing new devices in April and launch them in Q3 2025.

The business has raised €[website] million in investment.

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