Since launching two years ago Pelly, a company which analyses data for football clubs, is going from strength to strength; having recently received academic support from Bangor University to improve their understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Pelly is a platform that focuses on centralising information and operations for professional football clubs, such as performance data (how many goals a player has scored, tackles made etc.), medical information (injury history), contracts, bonuses and even what they post on social media – all in one platform, making it easier for clubs to organise and analyse data effectively. The company collaborates with several professional football clubs around the world from clubs in the English football league to SC Cambuur in the Netherlands, and Cesena FC who play in the Serie B league in Italy.
One of Pelly’s founders, Tomos Owen, aged 25 from Benllech began developing the platform while studying at Bangor University. Now based at M-SParc, the University’s science park in Gaerwen, Tomos and his co-founders Iwan Pritchard from Amlwch and Stephen Hickingbotham from Coventry, benefited from a collaboration with Dr Gavin Lawrence, senior lecturer in talent and expertise development at Bangor University. The project was supported through the University’s Skills and Innovation Voucher Scheme, which provides businesses with access to academic expertise.
Tomos Owen, said, “We had several discussions with Gavin about how Pelly’s base can use AI. None of us had any expertise in this field, and it is something that can improve our business. Offering AI enables our users to access more information, to be able to find information more easily, and more effectively.
“We also collaborated with the University’s Product Design course team to provide work experience for students. We benefit so much from hearing about young people’s experiences and their ideas for our business. We would like to offer more work experience to students in the future, and we encourage them to start their own business, like us.”
Dr Gavin Lawrence, Bangor University, said, “Through the Skills and Innovation Voucher Scheme, I worked closely with Pelly to help them explore and integrate the potential of AI within their football-specific data centralisation platform. Drawing on both my academic research in talent and expertise development, and my MBA in Management and Leadership, our approach was grounded in achieving real-world impact and supporting sustainable business growth. This meant starting from the ground up — conducting a thorough data ‘audit’ to map the scope, quality, and usability of existing datasets, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in how data was being captured, stored, and integrated.
“From there, I supported the design of a robust, scalable data architecture capable of supporting complex AI-driven analysis and deliver meaningful, actionable insights for the end users. This approach was discussed and agreed at the start of the project to ensure that AI integration was strategically aligned with Pelly’s objectives, maximising competitive advantage, enhancing client value, and creating a sustainable pathway for growth — a process that demonstrates how applied academic expertise, when paired with sound business strategy, can transform technical capability into measurable impact within the sports technology sector.”
Pelly has a good relationship with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and hopes to collaborate with clubs in Wales to help the game grow and develop further. The team believes that collaborating with Bangor University, and learning how to use AI effectively, will help them find even more clients in the future.
Nicola Sturrs, Business Development Manager for the Skills and Innovation Voucher Scheme at Bangor University, said, “We were delighted to award Pelly, with a Skills and Innovation Voucher Scheme one of 47 businesses we’ve supported since 2024. We now have a further 18 vouchers available for businesses based within Anglesey, Flintshire and rural areas of Gwynedd. Each voucher, worth up to £5,000, can be used to access support from Bangor University in relation to research and development projects, consultancy, skills and training, use of University facilities, use of specialist equipment and access to new knowledge. “
