USTA Ventures Invests in Edge Sound Research to Enhance Fan Experience
June 28, 2025
ORLANDO, Fla., June 27, 2025 – The USTA announced that the USTA’s strategic investment initiative USTA Ventures has invested in EDGE Sound Research, an audio innovator with cutting-edge technology that redefines how sound is captured and experienced. EDGE’s technology holds significant potential to enhance how fans experience tennis in-stadium or at home, aligning with one of USTA Ventures’ objectives of exploring innovations that can improve the tennis fan experience.
EDGE’s audio reproduction technology — Embodied Sound® — transforms everyday materials, such as walls, seats, and floors, into high-fidelity sound objects that you can both hear and feel in a speakerless environment. In-stadium, it can turn seating into a sound source, allowing a fan sitting far from a court to hear and feel the sounds of match play — creating the sensation of being on the court with the players. Over the past two years, EDGE has worked with other professional sports leagues and teams to gain insights into how to scale the technology for live entertainment venues.
This is the third investment made by USTA Ventures, which focuses on investing in companies that will help advance the USTA’s mission. Ventures previously made investments in PlayReplay and Court16. The investment in EDGE is its first directed toward impacting the tennis experience for spectators.
“EDGE’s innovations with audio can have a transformative impact on enhancing the way fans experience tennis in a multitude of settings, which aligns perfectly with one of the objectives of USTA Ventures,” said Bill McGugin, Chairman of the USTA Strategic Investment Committee and USTA Board Member. “We’ve now made three strategic investments intent on driving improvement for players, casual and competitive, and now fans. We’re excited to make this investment for the way it can uplift the way fans experience our sport, as we truly seek to leverage Ventures for the benefit of everyone within the American tennis ecosystem.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome USTA as a strategic investor in EDGE Sound Research,” said Valtteri Salomaki, Co-Founder & CEO | EDGE Sound Research, Inc. “As the U.S. national governing body of one of the world’s most iconic sports, USTA brings invaluable insight as we build next-generation experiences for tennis fans—both in-venue and through broadcast. This partnership exemplifies how leading sports organizations and innovative startups can come together to drive meaningful progress. USTA’s investment will accelerate our growth as we scale our patented audio technologies across sports and live entertainment.”