Impact Football Company BV becomes Smart11 BV and merges with Best2B Innovations – introducing AI analyst ‘Clairence’ as a gamechanger for football video analysis
Groningen, June 2nd 2025 — Impact Football Company BV will henceforth operate under the name Smart11 BV. At the same time, the company has announced its acquisition of Best2B Innovations BV. A key component of this strategic merger is the innovative product AI on the Ball — an advanced AI algorithm that uses computer vision to automatically generate tracking data from football match footage.
With AI on the Ball, it’s now possible to fully and automatically extract detailed position data of all 22 players and the ball from any match. This technology significantly enhances Smart11 BV’s existing product offerings, particularly in the areas of Smart11 and SmartCoach.
In the coming months, the technology will be fully integrated into Smart11 BV’s software under the name Clairence. Clairence will function as the intelligent AI analyst within both Smart11 and SmartCoach. Thanks to this integration, users will be able to more quickly and precisely identify the moments in matches that matter most to them, dramatically accelerating the analysis process and enriching it with AI-generated insights.
“With the integration of AI on the Ball, we are enhancing our core products with a new layer of precision and automation,” said Mats de Leeuw den Bouter, CEO of Smart11 BV. “Clairence is going to have a massive impact on how coaches and players approach video analysis.”
Once Clairence is fully integrated and launched, it will be temporarily made available free of charge to all users of Smart11. This is intended to give users the opportunity to experience firsthand how much time and value this AI analysis can add to their video review processes.
In addition to its integration into existing products, AI on the Ball will also be made available as a standalone platform. This will allow users to generate their own tracking data independently of Smart11 or SmartCoach. This opens up new possibilities for clubs, coaches, and analysts who want to perform custom analyses on their own video footage.
Simultaneously with the acquisition, Simon Nouwens, co-founder of Best2B Innovations BV, will join the board of Smart11 BV as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With his deep expertise in AI and computer vision, he will play a central role in the ongoing technological development of the platform.
“Our technology was developed with one goal in mind: to make high-quality tracking data accessible to every club, at every level,” said Simon Nouwens, CTO of Smart11 BV. “By joining forces with Smart11, we are bringing AI on the Ball to a much wider audience — fully integrated, user-friendly, and scalable.”
About Smart11 BV
Formerly known as Impact Football Company BV, Smart11 BV develops intelligent tools for video analysis and coaching in football. With solutions like Smart11 and SmartCoach and Elite Coaching, it enables players, coaches, and analysts to gain game insights and optimize performance using individual video analysis.
About Best2B Innovations BV
Best2B Innovations BV was a pioneer in applying artificial intelligence to sports analysis. With the development of AI on the Ball, the company brought one of the most advanced systems for fully automated tracking from broadcast video to the market.