PIF AI Champion Launches Humain Sport Following Ai.io Acquisition

Saudi Arabia’s artificial intelligence champion HUMAIN has formally entered the global sports technology market with the launch of HUMAIN Sport, following its acquisition of a controlling stake in London-based sports AI company ai.io. HUMAIN Sport will operate as a dedicated sports technology division within HUMAIN, focused initially on deployments in Saudi Arabia while accelerating international expansion through ai.io’s established commercial footprint and global partnerships. The acquisition brings together HUMAIN’s full-stack artificial intelligence infrastructure with ai.io’s specialist sports technology platforms, creating an integrated offering aimed at transforming participation, development and performance across the global sports ecosystem. The combined entity will deliver end-to-end AI solutions for athletes, coaches, sports organisations and fans, supporting use cases ranging from grassroots engagement to elite performance analysis.

The announcement was made at the PIF Private Sector Forum, signalling a significant strategic step in HUMAIN’s ambitions to scale AI applications across high-growth sectors, with sport positioned as a key vertical. The move also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s wider digital transformation and sports development strategy, which has seen significant investment in data, infrastructure and innovation across the sporting landscape.

Through the partnership, HUMAIN gains access to ai.io’s existing product suite, including its markerless motion capture technology 3DAT, alongside platforms such as aiScout and aiLab. These tools allow performance analysis from standard video footage, including mobile devices, and integrate real-time sports science data into training environments. The technology has applications beyond professional sport, extending into education, healthcare and physical training environments.

HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin said: “Sport is one of humanity’s strongest forces for connection, and at HUMAIN we exist to bridge the gap between human potential and artificial intelligence. Our investment in ai.io and the launch of HUMAIN Sport reflect this mission by using AI to unite people, empower athletes, and elevate participation and performance across the global sports ecosystem, while advancing our strategy to invest in leading AI companies worldwide. Strong commercial momentum is already evident, with multiple partnership agreements in development and announcements anticipated in the months ahead.”

ai.io Founder and CEO Darren Peries commented: “Partnering with HUMAIN significantly expands the reach and impact of our technology. Together, we can deploy AI solutions that support athletes, coaches, and organizations at every level of sport, while contributing to the growth of sports technology in the region and around the globe.”

By combining HUMAIN’s AI platforms, infrastructure and strategic partnerships with ai.io’s sports-focused expertise, the new venture aims to deliver scalable solutions for professional, amateur and grassroots sport. Industry observers view the move as another example of how Gulf-based technology and investment groups are positioning themselves at the intersection of sport, data and artificial intelligence, with long-term implications for performance analysis, fan engagement and digital participation worldwide.