Playbox Receives Venture Certification from Nagoya University, Expanding AI Sports Analysis

Playbox Receives Venture Certification from Nagoya University

Introduction

Playbox, based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, has recently been recognized as a startup venture by Nagoya University as of June 2025. This accolade comes on the heels of the company already being acknowledged as a venture from Tsukuba University. With substantial backing from various research institutions, Playbox continues its development of AI technology for social implementation.

What Does the Nagoya University Venture Certification Entail?

The “Nagoya University Venture” designation is awarded to startups that engage in business activities while leveraging the university's research findings and intellectual properties. The initiative aims to bridge academic research with societal benefits, ensuring that selected companies are assessed for their technical and practical implementation capabilities. For more information, interested parties can refer to the Nagoya University academic collaboration promotion office.

About Playbox

Playbox aspires to “Make Human Movement Computable,” utilizing AI technology to quantify and analyze human movements. Beyond sports, the company applies its motion analysis and tracking techniques to various other sectors. This includes enhancing work efficiency in environments such as offices and factories, as well as developing behavior analysis systems for security purposes. Overall, the company seeks to contribute to societal problems by making human movements easier to understand, going beyond just the field of sports.

Innovative AI Sports Video Analysis System

Playbox has developed an AI camera system that utilizes commercially available GoPro devices, eliminating the need for specialized equipment and thereby lowering initial setup costs. The Playbox product automatically analyzes, edits, and shares sports footage captured by affordable cameras, enhancing the experience of every sports enthusiast through data. This system is particularly beneficial for amateur and semi-professional teams, offering high-quality performance analysis at a fraction of traditional costs, which often required expensive equipment and expertise.

The goal is to democratize access to performance enhancement and tactical analysis, expanding participation in sports. Playbox envisions that regardless of competitive level, every athlete can reflect on their matches or training and gain new insights using data. By delivering AI analysis technology in an accessible manner, the company aims to contribute to the growth of Japan's sports culture.

Advancing AI Analysis Technology and Its Applications

Building on the experience gained in the sports domain, Playbox is enhancing its video analysis capabilities, focusing on AI's capacity for action recognition and behavior analysis. They plan to officially launch new services by 2026, including B2B SaaS solutions aimed at visualizing tactics and aiding improvements, ultimately balancing competitive performance with fan engagement. This integration will also aid teams in their digital transformation efforts by automatically analyzing athlete movements and gameplay situations from competitive footage.

Additionally, the company is developing a multi-camera tracking system that applies advanced visual processing AI across various industries. This system can automatically record employee working hours and visualize movement patterns, enhancing operational efficiency. Collective tracking technology aims to identify crowded areas and optimize facility management through automated climate control. Furthermore, the technology could improve security by detecting unauthorized area access and quickly identifying abnormal behavior.

As the Playbox team continues to harness the technology cultivated at Tsukuba University, they are committed to accelerating the social implementation of video analysis AI applicable to multiple domains.

CEO's Comment

Scott Atom, CEO, remarked, “Receiving venture certification from Nagoya University, following our previous acknowledgment from Tsukuba University, signifies that we are advancing in our R&D endeavors. We will keep transforming academic insights into practical solutions, continuously pursuing valuable and applicable technologies.”

Case Studies and Future Collaborations

Playbox has already extended its talent to notable projects, such as providing video analysis technology to the “Kamakura Stadium NFT Project” and forming partnerships with FC AWJ. Furthermore, they have initiated collaborative efforts with MIXI, focusing on building a foundation for sports AI video analysis.

For inquiries about Playbox, they can be contacted at their Tokyo office located at 1-6-16 Kanda-Iizumi-cho, Yamato Building 405.

For a comprehensive overview of their products and collaborations, visit Playbox's official website.