Cleveland Clinic, Sports Data Labs to Advance Care for Athletes, Patients

Cleveland Clinic and Sports Data Labs, Inc. (SDL) are partnering with the goal of creating the largest compilation of sports health data, which will be used to develop new technology-driven tools and services. As part of the partnership, Cleveland Clinic will also invest in SDL, a leader in AI-based collection, analysis, and distribution of real-time human data from on-body sensors and other sensing systems.

The collaboration will focus on optimizing human performance and mitigating injuries in athletes and patients – from elite professionals to everyday individuals – and will empower individuals by providing a new consent-based platform that allows individuals to actively participate and elect how, when and to whom they share their personal data.

Cleveland Clinic will support SDL’s health services and insights for their global partners and utilize SDL’s advanced technologies and network at the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center (GPPC), which is expected to open in 2027. The GPPC will offer state-of-the-art training and comprehensive care for individuals and athletes of all sports and levels with expert professionals from a variety of specialties.

In addition, to accelerate the collaboration, SDL will relocate its headquarters to Cleveland, bringing its talent closer to the world-class team and health professionals at Cleveland Clinic.

The partnership will explore additional opportunities to unlock new value from personal data for athletes and patients. The partnership will also apply insights gained from sports to broader population-focused health services.

“This partnership with Sports Data Labs represents a significant advancement in our ability to discover the principal drivers and modifiable variables of human performance,” said Thomas Mroz, M.D., enterprise chair of the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at Cleveland

Clinic. “Much of what sets athletes apart in performance at a granular level is still poorly understood. We intend to change that. By integrating SDL’s innovative technologies, assets, and partners with the Global Peak Performance Center’s medical, research and AI expertise, we will create cutting-edge solutions that not only maximize athletic performance but also improve patient outcomes and overall health. This partnership will enable us to pioneer new ways of leveraging personal data and the most advanced artificial intelligence to benefit athletes and patients alike.”

“We are honored to partner with the Cleveland Clinic to build the most advanced understanding of human performance, functionality, and optimization in sports, providing best-in-class services and products to athletes at all levels,” said Mark Gorski, Co-Founder and CEO of Sports Data Labs. “Long-term, we believe this collaboration will further our mission to help people live longer, healthier, and more productive lives through personalized health management and enable true autonomy over personal data.”

SDL has collaborated with leading organizations in sports, including the NFL Players Association. Earlier this year, SDL was honored on Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas list for its Consent-Based Exchange to Buy, Sell, and Trade Health Data.