Richard Felton-Thomas

Richard Felton-Thomas is Chief Operating Officer and Director of Sport Science at ai.io, a global sports technology company using artificial intelligence and computer vision to identify, develop, and unlock athletic potential at scale.

Felton-Thomas began his career in sport biomechanics, working directly with athletes, coaches, and high-performance teams before expanding into executive leadership and operational strategy. Over the past decade, he has played a pivotal role in developing performance, analytics, and athlete intelligence solutions across elite sport, working with organisations spanning the Premier League, NFL, NBA, NHL, international rugby, Olympic programs, military organisations including the SAS and leading medical providers. His career has included significant contributions to projects with Chelsea FC, Loughborough University London, and the development of an automated footwear selection platform for Wiggle. He has also held senior roles at Hawkin Dynamics and Mar-Systems, collaborating with universities, healthcare providers, and global brands including Adidas and New Balance to translate cutting-edge research into practical, scalable technologies.

He has presented at leading global events including AWS re, Intel Innovation, Soccerex, the World Football Summit Innovation Forum, the Global Sports Tech Conference, and the Global Entrepreneurs Conference. His work has been featured by BBC World News, BBC One’s The One Show, Sky News, Sky Sports, the Financial Times, Forbes, The Telegraph, and other international media.

Throughout his career, Felton-Thomas has remained focused on one guiding principle: building evidence-based systems that create lasting impact. Today, he applies the same performance-driven mindset to business strategy, product innovation, and operational excellence, leading the integration of sport science, technology, and global operations at ai.io to shape the future of athlete identification and performance intelligence.