Zelus, a sports analytics company with CDS alum, breaks new ground
In an era where a split-second decision defines a game, the role of data in sports has transcended mere numbers to become the very heartbeat of strategy and performance. Amidst this revolution stands Zelus Analytics, a beacon of innovation in sports technology, founded by Doug Fearing, Luke Bornn, and Dan Cervone, the latter being a former Postdoc Fellow at CDS.
Zelus is a sports analytics startup with a global team. “We develop a software product that we sell to professional sports teams in now eight different sports,” Cervone said, “helping those teams make informed decisions about player development, roster construction, and in-game strategies.” The company’s foundation was rooted in the academic and professional intersections of its founders, who have roots at NYU and the LA Dodgers.
For Cervone, Zelus’ journey signifies more than just a business venture; it’s a continuation of a decade-long academic pursuit. He recounted its origins with co-founder Luke Bornn: “We stumbled upon this dataset around tracking data in basketball. It was among the best quality datasets out there in any field.” Their work with this dataset resulted in several years of collaboration between Cervone and Bornn, ultimately leading to research that garnered significant attention.
“It was well-received in the academic space, but it was even more well-received in the sports space, and led to consulting opportunities,” said Cervone. This experience, combined with meeting Doug Fearing, eventually led to the idea of a business, and Zelus was born.
This academic origin persists within Zelus, despite the shift from public to private research. “We continue to push the cutting edge of sports analytics research, for the benefit of our clients,” Esteban Navarro Garaiz said, reflecting on the legacy of academic sports analytics.
Zelus’ connection with CDS remains profound. Cervone’s tenure at CDS was marked by a blend of interests in analytics and academia, which resonated with the institution’s inclusive and technically diverse environment. This synergy has continued, with several CDS alumni, including Navarro Garaiz, Andrew Hopen, and Guido Petri joining Zelus, each carving their unique path in the company’s diverse verticals.
Hopen’s journey to Zelus was serendipitous, aligning with the company’s inception during his tenure at CDS. He reflected, “Doug Fearing was the person who hired me at the Dodgers. When he was starting Zelus, it made a lot of sense to reach out to somebody who he had worked with and knew.” This narrative isn’t unique to Hopen. Navarro Garaiz’s path from CDS to Zelus was facilitated by a capstone project for the Brooklyn Nets while at CDS, underscoring CDS’ pivotal role in shaping future leaders in sports analytics.
The Zelus team’s advice to aspiring data scientists and sports analysts was unanimous: leverage your passion and the wealth of data available to build a robust technical foundation. “Sports is a really fun way to learn a lot of the technical tools,” Navarro Garaiz said, emphasizing the industry’s growth and the unprecedented opportunities it presents. Hopen added, “Really take advantage of the breadth of what you can do at CDS.”
As for Zelus’ future, they announced a new $3.6M round of funding in October, and Cervone envisions diversification and expansion. “Our growth is about leveraging the core IP that we’ve developed and taking that to other markets,” he said, hinting at potential ventures into eSports, golf, media applications, and more.
In a world where data reigns supreme, Zelus, guided by the acumen of its CDS-affiliated team, is not just playing the game; it’s changing it. From the courts and fields of professional sports to the algorithms and models of analytics, the company stands at the forefront, transforming raw data into strategies that not only win games but also define the future of sports.
By Stephen Thomas
