Since its founding in 2006, Hudl has become a prominent name in both athletics and the Nebraska startup ecosystem. It recently held Hudl Week 2026, bringing employees from around the world to its headquarters in Lincoln. Company leaders shared insights and their outlook on the future.
By Ben Goeser
Silicon Prairie News
Among the College World Series, World Cup and NBA Finals merch visible last week on the streets of Lincoln’s Haymarket, another familiar piece of branding was readily evident. While it is not unusual to see the Hudl logo in the area, with the sportstech company’s global headquarters being based there, June 8-12 marked a special occasion.
It was Hudl Week 2026, bringing together employees from around the world to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hudl, the juggernaut born in Nebraska. Organizers said 27 countries and 38 states were represented.
Since its founding in 2006, Hudl has demonstrated a startup journey of significant growth and market reach. The company offers a suite of video and analytics products, including software and physical cameras, for various sports at the youth, school and professional levels.
The tech enables coaching staff to streamline the process for gathering data on team performance and sharing learned insights. Athletes are able to compile highlight reels that they then can share with prospective recruiters. Schools and organizations gain tools to engage with fans through streaming and sharing updates on game seasons.
Ten years ago, Hudl was in the midst of constructing its headquarters. At the time, leadership said there were over 400 full-time employees across five continents and 12 countries. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the office took place in 2017.
The numbers may fluctuate, but it has since been reported that Hudl has scaled from three co-founders to over 5,000 employees. The company has touted 18 acquisitions, exclusive agreements and partnerships across sports leagues and support for “hundreds of thousands” of teams worldwide with its offerings.
Hudl Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Brian Kaiser said Hudl Week was a chance for employees from all over to meet, build connections and embrace the company culture and outlook. He said Hudl used to hold a company retreat in Las Vegas, but the logistics for such a trip have become more difficult.
“We have about 1,600 full-time employees,” Kaiser said. “Plus, we have an additional about 3,500 employees in India and Egypt that are full-time Hudlies, but it’s a little different. They do a lot of our tagging and analysis work for us.”
“When we started Hudl back in the day,” he said, “we were just really passionate about it and did it with a couple friends and thought we were on to something, but certainly could not imagine where it’s at today.”
Such progress can be personified in Hudl’s workforce, as seen in Martha Reyna, a customer success manager for the company. Reyna was one of the almost 1,800 “Hudlies” and invited guests in attendance during Hudl Week.
Reyna is originally from Mexico, went to college in West Virginia and worked for the sports data company StatsBomb in the United Kingdom, where she lives. Hudl acquired StatsBomb in 2024. Although she was aware of Hudl, Reyna said Nebraska was never really on her mind. On this visit, she said the state had provided a welcoming atmosphere for her and her co-workers from across the world.
“You see so many faces that you normally just message,” Reyna said. “And now actually seeing them in person, being able to talk to people from very different parts of the world — like speaking with someone from Europe and speaking with someone from Japan and speaking with someone from Nebraska — it’s just incredible to see everybody in the same place.”
Hudl has helped place Lincoln on the map for sportstech, inspiring other startups in the space to build in the state’s capital. Beyond charitable commitments to communities that employees call home, the company also remains a close collaborator with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and its talent pipeline. UNL is where Hudl’s co-founders got their start, and the school’s football team was its first customer.
“We have a lot of the benefits that come from being a more established company. We have the funds to invest and pursue good ideas. We have an incredible team,” Co-founder and CEO David Graff said. “But we certainly try to keep all the great things that come with being scrappy as a startup.”
Leadership and impact
Hudl’s three co-founders are Graff, Kaiser and John Wirtz. They started Hudl during their time as students at UNL and its Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management.
While Graff and Kaiser continue in leadership roles at Hudl, acting as CEO and CTO respectively, Wirtz has since stepped out of his position as chief product officer. Michelle Henry is the current CPO.
“John taught me so much about how to think about product strategy tied to market outcomes, lead a team from the front and stay connected to our customers,” Henry said in an email to SPN. “It’s a big role. But I felt well-prepared to take that on because I had learned from one of the best.”
Now fulfilling a more part-time position as an executive adviser, Wirtz has continued lending a hand to Nebraska’s startup ecosystem. This includes acting in a mentorship capacity for other startups and student founders. He serves as a board member for Kearney-based utilities startup Fast Forward and chairs the advisory board for the UNL Center for Entrepreneurship.
Samuel Nelson, director of the UNL Center for Entrepreneurship, said the name recognition of Hudl and having its leaders in UNL’s “backyard” give the college and its programming an advantage with recruiting talent.
Hudl has remained a core supporter of UNL’s programming, Nelson said. The company has been a source for classroom guest speakers, internships and sponsored projects for the Raikes School.
“I just don’t want to understate what Hudl does with the entire university because I’m just one sliver of what they do with the university,” Nelson said.
Tackling opportunities and the future
Hudl has progressed far beyond its early startup years. The environment has similarly shifted into a new era with NIL changes and pressures for solutions.
Earlier this year, competing business QwikCut filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, claiming that Hudl monopolizes the market of school sports and athletics departments. QwikCut alleges that Hudl uses tactics such as acquisitions, agreements, exclusionary bundling prices and tech barriers to cross-platform video exchanges — making it difficult for competitors to fairly enter the space.
Hudl’s attorneys argued in response that the complaint should be dismissed. They say QwikCut lists acquisitions that are too old or not relevant. They also say QwikCut has not proved anticompetitive conduct or unlawful actions and note that Hudl isn’t obligated to share its tech and help its competition.
Hudl leadership declined to comment on the case.
Hudl has a track record of adapting to industry advancements, as seen in its efforts to move into sharable and streamable video content around the evolution of YouTube and Netflix. As needs have evolved for its own workforce, such as the rise of working parents, Hudl has put energy into addressing them — as seen in its childcare services housed at its headquarters.
Kaiser said sports’ reliance on a “passion in humanity” makes it unique in weathering any complete disruptions in the rise of artificial intelligence. He said Hudl is exploring the impacts the tech can bring to athletes, games and the business. Areas of interest mentioned by Henry include AI-powered coaching assistants and cameras that can instantly provide stats when a game ends.
“We’re building a single platform that connects coaches, athletes, analysts, sport scientists, parents, recruiters and fans around the most complete library of sports video and data in the world,” Henry said. “The future of Hudl is one where every moment in sports gets captured, every athlete gets the recognition they deserve and every program has the tools to win.”
Kaiser said that even with Hudl’s global presence, there has never been serious thought about moving the headquarters out of Lincoln. He credits community support, Midwestern culture and the investors who call the region home and said that being in Lincoln has actually pulled in more talent from abroad.
“We’ve had a bunch of people move here after visiting from Barcelona, from London, from other international locations — moved to Lincoln because they like this place,” Kaiser said. “So, it’s not just me kind of making this up. The proof is actually in the results, and we see it.”
Hudl leadership said founders interested in building their own startups should seek experienced advisers for guidance. They credited mentors in the local ecosystem for helping them overcome the many challenges that came with scaling a company. They added that it’s important to spend time trying to understand the customer and surrounding oneself with a trusted team willing to voice opinions.
“Find something you’re really passionate about, you really care about learning more about,” Graff said. “Root the products you build in those customers’ problems and finding great solutions for them.”
Silicon Prairie News is the leading independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on covering stories about innovation and entrepreneurship in Nebraska.
