Telemetry Sports, a sports analytics startup founded in 2013 by Rose-Hulman alumni Jeremy Hochstedler and Kellen Hurst, has become a behind-the-scenes fixture for more than 25 NFL franchises and 20 NCAA teams. The company applies computer vision, machine learning, and Artificial Intelligence to streamline scouting, research and development, and daily workflows for coaches and front offices. Its goal is to condense vast data sets into concise, actionable insights, summarized as “three bullet points on a whiteboard,” to guide game planning and recruiting decisions. Hochstedler’s early experience building sports analytics tools with MATLAB while coaching baseball, and encouragement from campus mentors, led to an initial product called Diamond Charts and the eventual formation of Telemetry Sports.
To scale the venture, the founders recruited fellow alumnus Paul Gagnon, who helped pivot the focus to football by leveraging real-time data from RFID chips embedded in players’ shoulder pads. Gagnon credits skills developed in Rose-Hulman residence life roles with shaping his client-first approach as a product manager. Another alumnus, Jordan Chipka, joined after running analytics projects during the pandemic and participating in the Big Data Bowl, connecting with the team through Coach Sean Bendel. The startup emphasizes a culture of self-directed problem solving, summarized by the mantra “FIO: figure it out.” More than half the team now consists of Rose-Hulman alumni and students, and interns deploy production features for NFL clients within their first week.
Telemetry Sports’ tools have contributed to Super Bowl wins and informed draft strategies, according to the company. Its momentum attracted North Carolina-based Teamworks, which acquired Telemetry Sports to combine deeper resources with wider industry connections. Teamworks has also announced a strategic partnership with ESPN to enhance college football coverage using Telemetry’s suite. The team has presented at the NFL Scouting Combine, where coaches praised the product’s impact. As the football season intensifies, the alumni-led group continues to expand its role in coaching and recruiting, reinforcing a simple mission: build software that solves real problems and helps coaches get answers faster with fewer manual steps.
