GO Ventures has joined a €2 million Series A funding round for French sports technology company SPASH, extending the Maltese telecom group’s push into scalable digital businesses.
Investment targets amateur sport technology
GO Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Malta-based telecommunications group GO, confirmed on 27 October that it had invested in Lyon-headquartered SPASH alongside Vessoa Invest, CoopVenture and existing shareholders.
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SPASH builds video, data and analytics systems for amateur padel, tennis and five-a-side football. The company says its technology helps players record and review games, while giving sports-centre operators tools intended to raise engagement and improve day-to-day operations.
GO said SPASH systems are deployed at almost 450 sports centres in France and elsewhere in Europe. The size of GO Ventures’ individual investment was not disclosed.
AI development and European expansion
The €2 million round is earmarked for new AI-led features, including products for padel and other racket sports, and for expanding SPASH’s commercial and technical teams.
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The company also plans to grow its presence in Italy, Benelux, the UK and the DACH markets of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. SPASH, founded in 2018, positions its products as a way to bring performance data and shareable video highlights—once more associated with elite sport—to everyday players and local clubs.
GO Ventures’ head of investments, Paul Grech, said the fund is concentrating on seed and Series A companies that have products in market and are already generating revenue. He said the firm is looking for evidence of market traction and founders able to adapt as plans and markets change.
Why it matters
The deal shows how telecom companies are seeking growth beyond connectivity by investing in platforms that use data, cloud infrastructure and AI. GO’s wider group operates in telecommunications, digital services, data centres, cybersecurity, health technology and venture capital.
For Black entrepreneurs, athletes and sports-club operators across Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, the development is part of a wider shift: sports technology once geared towards professional teams is increasingly being sold to grassroots venues. That could widen access to video analysis and player data, but the benefits will depend on whether such systems are priced and distributed in ways that reach community-level sport rather than only well-funded facilities.
GO said its telecommunications background and operations in Malta and Cyprus could provide SPASH with expertise and connections as it expands. SPASH co-founder Tristan Vernay said the funding would help the company accelerate its AI capabilities, introduce products for clubs and reach more players across Europe.
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The investment adds SPASH to a GO Ventures portfolio spanning areas including AI, cybersecurity, fintech and workplace technology, underscoring the group’s strategy of pairing financial backing with market access and operational support.