Oxford Startup Ball AI Wins Big, Strengthens Local Tech Ecosystem

Ball AI, founded in Oxford by University of Mississippi student entrepreneur Julien Bourgeois, took home two awards at the statewide Innovate Mississippi Accelerate Technology Conference on Dec. 5, 2025. The company received a $1,000 Voice of the Customer award and a $5,000 Audience Favorite prize, together providing both cash support and public validation of the platform that offers shot tracking and training analytics for players and coaches.

Formerly known as Automatic AI, Ball AI delivers real time analytics and workout data aimed at improving performance. The team entered a three month accelerator after winning a regional pitch event in Oxford in June, participating in the Innovate Mississippi CoBuilders program backed by the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network and sponsored by Microsoft. The statewide Pitch Day for participating startups was held Nov. 10 in Jackson. The CoBuilders regional pitch will return to Oxford in summer 2026, creating another local opportunity for entrepreneurs.

The company reports roughly 1,700 active users and added more than 500 new users in September. That single month increase represents a sizable share of current activity and underscores accelerating adoption among amateur and semi professional players. For a fledgling app, that user base and the $6,000 in prize money are modest in absolute terms, but they serve as measurable proof points when seeking follow on investment or partnerships with local teams and training facilities.

For Lafayette County the immediate impact is practical and local. Coaches and youth programs can gain access to low cost analytics to improve player development, and the startup activity strengthens ties between the university and the community. Over the medium term this kind of technology company can create part time and full time positions, attract outside investment, and encourage related service providers to locate locally.

Policy makers and economic development leaders can amplify these gains by sustaining accelerator events, aligning small business center resources with university innovation, and promoting pilot programs with high school and club teams. With regional pitch activity returning to Oxford in 2026, Ball AI’s progress this year signals growing maturity in the local innovation pipeline and a measurable contribution to Lafayette County’s economic diversification. Local contacts at Oxford Lafayette Incorporated and CoBuilders are available for more information.