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Bvddy, a new technology tool that enables sports players to find and connect with sports partners, announces that it has closed $1.5 million pre-Series A capital to expand into new cities and make it easier than ever before for sports players to find their next pickup basketball game or tennis match. The $1.5 million in funding is led by high profile Latin American investors, IDC Group (Grupo IDC), and former BlueKite CEO and current PayPal executive Bobby Aitkenhead.
Launched in 2015 by an avid tennis player seeking to find other people to play tennis with, Bvddy meets an underserved need within the U.S. sports and recreation industry. It features proprietary Smart Matching algorithms that learn about players over time, including how often they play, location, actual skill level, punctuality, and competitive spirit, to constantly provide the most accurate matches. Prior to closing its pre-Series A round, the company raised $715,000 in seed and angel financing to develop its technology and test the concept within the sports community.
“It’s a significant challenge for adult sports players to find other people to play the sports they love with, and it can be particularly hard to find others at the same level of skill and experience,” says Bvddy founder and CEO Pedro Ast. “I experienced this first hand as an athlete. Bvddy was created to solve this problem.”
How Bvddy works is simple. Users download the tool and create a profile. They can then search for and discover other people to play specific sports with based on location, skill level, and other criteria. In addition to the Smart Matching algorithm that learns about users over time to provide the best matches, users can communicate with other players, schedule times and locations to play, review skills, as well as find local venues. Additionally, they can discover activities; create public or private sporting events, and rate opponents. Bvddy also encourages users to play and facilitates a fit, healthy lifestyle regardless of player skill level.
“We utilized the first year after launching to perfect our technology and prove the concept within our own local market,” adds Ast. “We’re excited to now expand to other cities and continue to help sports players play the sports they love while traveling or within their own city.”
Bvddy is currently available in the Apple App Store. Expansion plans include Bvddy’s launch on Android, as well as in San Francisco, Los Angeles and other major U.S. cities in 2016. For more information, or to download Bvddy visit www.bvddy.com.