Shivaas Gulati, a Seattle entrepreneur and investor, took a break from the tech industry after helping to start Remitly and moved with his family to London to recharge. After rediscovering his passion for soccer, he began exploring how his tech background could intersect with sports by understanding how soccer clubs are run and how they use technology. Through conversations with various clubs, Gulati joined an ownership consortium that purchased Southend United, a football club founded in 1906 located in Southend-on-Sea, England. With his investment, Gulati became the 11th member of the consortium, dubbed Custodians of Southend United.
While still remaining connected to Seattle’s tech scene, Gulati will focus on pursuing his passion for soccer and utilizing his background to enhance technology adoption at Southend United. This includes advancements on the playing and business sides of the club, such as wearables, player analytics, game analytics, scouting, recruiting, fan engagement, commercial opportunities, and strategic partnerships. Gulati emphasized the use of artificial intelligence in transforming sports organizations, mentioning that forward-thinking clubs are already considering investing in and utilizing AI. He believes AI can help personalize fan engagement and uncover new business opportunities within the region, minimizing the need for large teams and enhancing overall efficiency.
Gulati expressed his belief that sports businesses face similar challenges and require similar strategies to other industries, such as strategic alignment, execution, tracking goals, measuring performance, and coming up with innovative ideas. He plans to bring his experience from the tech and startup world to Southend United, leveraging grit, tenacity, planning, and iteration to drive success for the club. Through his involvement with Foundations, an organization supporting startup founders, Gulati remains connected to the Seattle tech community, while also making frequent trips back to England to oversee his investment in Southend United.
With half a million residents in Essex County where Southend United is based, Gulati sees potential in using software and AI to engage with fans and enhance relationships. By leveraging technology, Gulati aims to augment coaching staff, uncover new business opportunities, and streamline operations at the club. He demonstrated the practical use of AI by using the technology to bypass lawyers and draft purchase agreements and contracts. Gulati highlighted the importance of innovation in sports management, emphasizing the need for clubs to experiment with new technologies and strategies to achieve product-market fit and drive growth.
As Gulati immerses himself in the world of soccer ownership, he sees the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by bringing his tech expertise to the sport. By combining his passion for soccer with his experience in entrepreneurship and technology, Gulati aims to drive positive change at Southend United. Through his involvement with the ownership consortium and his focus on enhancing technology adoption, Gulati is poised to contribute to the growth and success of the football club, leveraging AI, software, and analytics to modernize operations and engage fans in new and innovative ways.
