From left: Logos of The Invention Lab, Galloping, and Abraxas | Image provided by Galloping
Galloping, the developer of the AI soccer training service AI SOCCER, recently announced that it has secured Pre-Series A funding from The Invention Lab. The investment comes from the “Digital Innovation Fund No. 4,” a deep-tech specialized fund created in collaboration with The Invention Lab (CEO Jin Young Kim) and Abraxas, a firm established by 18 former Samsung executives, including Dong-soo Jeon, Jae-moon Cho, and Ho Kim from Samsung SDS.
Previously, the “Digital Innovation Fund No. 1” boasted a 100% survival rate and a 43% follow-on investment success rate for its portfolio companies. The fund is set to support Galloping’s growth by leveraging deep technical expertise and a robust network.
Galloping is revolutionizing soccer training using AI, moving from traditional, unstructured methods to data-driven, personalized training programs designed to enhance players’ skills. After securing seed funding from Korea University Holdings in April 2023, Galloping verified its service through accurate data analysis and objective results, proving the potential of its offering. The company is now in the process of establishing its digital soccer training antenna shop.
Galloping is a resident company at the Pangyo Startup Campus, managed by the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy & Innovation and supported by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
Yi Kyung Son, CEO of Galloping, stated, “With this investment, we plan to form various partnerships with major clubs, academies, and professional football teams in the soccer industry to expand our market share. The Invention Lab and Samsung’s extensive experience and expertise will contribute to refining and scaling our AI SOCCER service.”
He added, “By providing personalized training systems and data-driven growth analysis, we aim to offer optimized individual training methods. Our goal is not just corporate growth but to create a new soccer training paradigm that dramatically reduces inefficient training time for players. We aim to lead the global soccer training market, expanding beyond Korea to Asia, Europe, and North America.”
Pangyo Techno Valley is a global integrated R&D hub focused on IT, BT, CT, and NT, integrating Research (R), People (P), Information (I), and Trade (T). As Gyeonggi-do’s representative innovation cluster, Pangyo Techno Valley was established to secure national new growth drivers such as technological innovation, human resource development, job creation, and enhancing international business competitiveness. As of 2023, 1,666 companies employ 78,751 people, and it has positioned itself as the most innovative hub in South Korea, with sales amounting to 167.7 trillion KRW (125.5 billion USD).
Furthermore, the Techno Valley Innovation Division of the Gyeonggi-do Business & Science Accelerator (GBSA) holds monthly events such as the Pangyo Evening Meet-Up, Pan-Pan Day, and the Pangyo Startup Investment Exchange “In-Best Pangyo” to maximize the value of Pangyo Techno Valley. They also support the Pangyo Overseas Promotion Program to publicize information about Pangyo’s companies, products, and services to domestic and foreign investors and the media, thereby facilitating foreign investment.
