23 Daily — In 2024, Fit:match founder Haniff Brown, initially developing AI body-scanning technology to help consumers find clothes that fit, was approached by a major English soccer team to use his technology at their youth academy for a different purpose. After listening to coaches and sports scientists, Haniff discovered a new application that led to a 300% growth for Fit:match, according to entrepreneur.com.
Pivoting from Retail to Sports Performance Analytics
Haniff Brown, a Williams College math graduate and former private equity investor, started Fit:match to provide AI-powered body scanning to assist shoppers in finding better-fitting clothes. In 2024, an English soccer team invited him to apply the technology at their youth academy, which led Haniff to interact with coaches and sports scientists. They requested the scanning process be shortened to 10-15 seconds to make it practical during training. This insight became a turning point, prompting Fit:match to pivot and focus on athlete body analytics.
Partnerships with Global Sports Organizations
Fit:match now collaborates with FIFA, Major League Soccer, and Major League Baseball to deliver fast, precise anthropometric and body composition measurements to athletes. Haniff highlights that the platform's usage at the youth level democratizes access to detailed body data, supporting athlete development pathways and enabling parents to make informed decisions for their children’s sports career progression.
Entrepreneurial Lessons: Hands-On Product Demonstrations and Fundraising Philosophy
Haniff emphasizes the importance of letting potential clients experience the technology firsthand. Instead of videos or images, his team conducts live demos in meetings, showing how quickly and easily the scanning can be performed even by an eight-year-old or a 70-year-old. Regarding fundraising, Haniff views it as necessary 'fuel' along the entrepreneurial journey, advising founders to prioritize building the right product, market, and customer base first, as securing investors becomes easier with those foundations in place.
Editor's take: From customer-driven pivot to scalable sports tech growth
Fit:match’s transformation originated in responding directly to a key customer’s challenge, turning a retail-focused tech into a breakthrough sports analytics platform. Their partnerships with major international sports leagues validate the broad applicability of body intelligence technology. For entrepreneurs, the case demonstrates the value of embracing unexpected opportunities, deeply understanding customer needs, and accelerating adoption through real-time product experience. These practices can be critical levers for growth and successful fundraising.