Shoot 360, the technology-powered basketball training franchise, has formed a strategic partnership with COPA Innovation Laboratories, a sports innovation company focused on athlete development, technology and human performance. As part of the deal, COPA Innovation Laboratories and its investment arm, COPA Venture Capital, led a $7 million growth funding round in Shoot 360.
Founded in 2012 by Craig Moody, Shoot 360 combines machine vision, real-time analytics and immersive gamification to power its basketball training model. The company has grown to more than 65 locations across the United States and internationally, with a substantial pipeline of new sites in development and partnerships in place with several NBA teams. COPA Innovation Laboratories, founded by California entrepreneur Mark Hall, operates a portfolio of sports, wellness and technology businesses, including COPA Soccer Training Centers, and specializes in objective athlete assessment, performance data and real-world training environments.
Craig Moody, founder and president of Shoot 360, said the company's mission has always been to make training feel as engaging as the sports and games young athletes already enjoy, and that the new investment will help bring that experience to more communities while accelerating its technology. Mark Hall, CEO and founder of COPA Innovation Laboratories, said the partnership pairs COPA's investment in athlete assessment and performance data with Shoot 360's technology platform and proven franchise model, an opportunity he expects to accelerate innovation across both companies.
The two companies plan to explore collaboration across several areas, including technology, athlete assessment, performance analytics, franchising and broader business expansion, while drawing on COPA's wider sports and real estate network, including its affiliate National SportsMall Realty, to support future growth. As franchise systems like Shoot 360 scale their location count while trying to keep performance data consistent across every site, having a reliable way to compare metrics becomes increasingly important. Gorilla Dash offers a Benchmarking feature designed to help multi-location franchises track and compare performance data across their network, supporting the kind of data-driven growth both companies are pursuing.
The partnership adds to an active stretch for Shoot 360, which recently opened new locations in the Bay Area and made its debut in New Jersey, continuing its expansion as a rare sports-technology brand within the franchise industry.
