Juventus Unveils 11 Startups for 2026/27 Innovation Programme Across Football and Business Operations.

Roger Hampel

Image: Juventus

Juventus has announced 11 startups for the 2026/27 edition of its Forward Squad innovation programme, selecting companies to develop pilot projects across sporting performance, artificial intelligence, fan engagement and club operations.

The second cohort was unveiled during Wave by Vento at OGR Torino, with the startups divided into two areas: Sport Performance and Corporate Innovation.

The programme forms part of Juventus Forward, the club's open innovation platform designed to identify and test emerging technologies in a professional football environment. The latest selection includes applications ranging from AI-powered biomechanical analysis and women's health monitoring to stadium audience intelligence, facilities management and automated media operations.

Juventus Forward Enters Second Season Juventus

Launched in February 2026 at Allianz Stadium, Juventus Forward was established to connect the club with technology companies developing products for the sports industry and wider business operations.

The Forward Squad is its practical component, allowing selected startups to work with Juventus on defined use cases and pilot projects.

The 2026/27 cohort follows the programme's inaugural season, with the club continuing to involve external technology companies in areas where new products can be tested against operational requirements.

Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus Chief Club Affairs Officer, reflected on the first edition during the presentation:

"What struck me most about the startups was their drive to keep improving, their enthusiasm for working with us and their ability to turn every challenge into an opportunity to grow."

The programme also involves organisations including The Players Fund and Vitalmatch Accelerator, which support connections between startups, investors and the wider sports technology ecosystem.

Four Startups Focus on Sporting Performance

The Sport Performance category includes four companies developing solutions for player monitoring, nutrition and communication.

ForceTeck, a University of Bath spinout, uses artificial intelligence to analyse athlete biomechanics from standard video footage. Juventus will test the technology for player profiling using slow-motion smartphone recordings, with the aim of providing coaches with information on physical characteristics, performance development and injury risk.

NUHPRO, an Italian food technology company, will develop a personalised pre-workout whey protein formula designed around the nutritional, recovery and digestive requirements of professional athletes.

Vitelle will work with Juventus Women on female-specific athlete monitoring. The project will focus on establishing individual physiological baselines and interpreting hormonal health data in line with UEFA's latest consensus, supporting more informed performance and medical decisions.

Vokalo will introduce technology that captures communication between players on the pitch and synchronises audio with video analysis. The objective is to convert verbal communication, leadership and team organisation into structured information that can complement existing performance analysis.

Together, the four projects address areas of sporting performance that extend beyond conventional physical tracking and match statistics.

Seven Startups Target Commercial and Operational Innovation

The Corporate Innovation category covers seven companies working on fan intelligence, digital engagement, infrastructure and internal business processes.

Among the selected startups is CrowdIQ, which uses computer vision and high-resolution imagery to analyse audience behaviour inside stadiums.

The technology examines movement, attention, engagement and merchandise adoption, potentially providing Juventus with additional information for commercial planning, sponsorship activation and stadium operations.

Talkalytics will test voice-based supporter surveys, replacing conventional written questionnaires with spoken responses. Its technology analyses more than 46 emotional indicators, with Juventus planning to use the findings across matchday experience, membership and partner activations.

SuperQuickQuestion will explore short video interactions between supporters and athletes. Its format uses 60-second calls that can be connected to purchases, loyalty programmes or promotional campaigns, creating potential applications for fan engagement and sponsorship rights.

Vivilo uses AI to match event photographs and videos with the people appearing in them, allowing participants to access personalised digital galleries.

The remaining projects focus on the club's infrastructure and internal operations.

Kanoa Solutions will test high-efficiency faucet filters across Juventus facilities, targeting water savings of up to 35% while collecting data on operating costs and potential wider implementation.

WisyPlan will work on connecting Juventus' real estate and facilities management information through an AI platform capable of processing project documentation, schedules and operational data.

Zaro will develop an intelligent Media Desk for the club's press office, consolidating media mentions and internal information into a shared knowledge system intended to reduce repetitive work and improve access to relevant information.

Juventus Tests AI Across the Club's Business

The selection shows that Juventus is applying its innovation programme to a broader set of activities than football performance alone.

Several projects address operational functions that are increasingly dependent on data, including stadium management, sponsorship measurement, supporter research and internal communications.

CrowdIQ and Talkalytics, for example, approach fan engagement from different perspectives. One examines physical behaviour within a venue, while the other collects qualitative feedback through voice analysis.

WisyPlan and Zaro focus on internal workflows, with potential applications in reducing administrative work and improving access to information across departments.

These projects also illustrate the distinction between introducing AI as a standalone product and integrating it into existing club operations.