15+ years turning emerging technology into commercial products, platforms and revenue streams for global brands and fast-growing ventures. Currently CEO of Connected Fanatics.
Documentary on the future of clothing - featuring adidas, Patagonia, Studio XO and Biocouture.
The Rugby Journey podcast with Bob Skinstad - technology, media, commercial growth and the next era of the game.
Matt Hymers and Eric Liedtke on adidas' approach to elite performance data, sensor systems and the future of connected athletics.
Interview with product lead Matt Hymers on building the connected performance platform for elite teams.
Matt Hymers with Cafu, Valderrama, and Nicole Regnier in the smart ball power challenge for adidas The Dugout, Rio, Brazil World Cup 2014.
British & Irish Lions and Connected Fanatics unveil the NFC-connected jersey for the 2025 tour of Australia - powering the Lions Clubhouse fan experience.
Embedded encrypted NFC touchpoints into official British & Irish Lions jerseys and fan-zone signage, routing physical taps into a private digital ecosystem. 60,000 verified fans, 95% engagement, 143 countries in 90 days.
Led digital strategy and touch-point architecture for FC Bayern World's flagship store in Munich. Designed immersive digital installations, connected merchandise journeys and experiential retail flow that turned foot traffic into a first-party engagement engine.
Managed global design, development and marketing of product for multiple global sports clubs and international federations at adidas. End-to-end ownership of premium kit and apparel campaigns from concept through retail activation.
Led concept and product strategy for the adidas Telstar 18, the first FIFA World Cup match ball with embedded NFC. Each tap unlocked exclusive content, authenticate-the-product features and a direct-to-fan channel that turned every ball into a connected platform.
Project and product marketing manager for the NFC integration in adidas x Parley soccer jerseys - the first kits with embedded chips from clubs like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. A woven loop-label NFC tag unlocked mobile content about ocean plastic pollution and Parley cleanup operations, turning sustainable apparel into an interactive storytelling platform.
Conceived, built and shipped a global co-creation platform inviting fans to design third kits for Bayern, Real Madrid, Man United, Juventus, Milan and Flamengo. Turned a marketing moment into a permanent first-party data engine.
Part of the product strategy and go-to-market for the adidas miCoach Smart Ball. Embedded accelerometer and sensor technology captured speed, spin, strike and flight data - the same foundational connected-ball technology that underpins today's smart balls, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup ball.
Product lead for the elite performance data system worn by the German national team during their 2014 FIFA World Cup victory. Sensor vests, real-time biometrics, coach-side analytics - sport's first deployed-at-scale connected training stack.
Delivered the sports industry's first league-wide wearable technology and data platform - multi-million dollar partnership rolled across every MLS franchise.
“It is rare that you come across a talent like Matt. When he is given a business challenge, he will find a future-thinking, value-based solution. He would be a true asset to any company hiring him.
“On digital, his expertise is unmatched. With a clear vision and strong ownership, he has owned and driven a project that will most likely set the standard in how we interact with our consumers in the future.
“Matt is one of those colleagues you must have in your group in order to be successful. His business knowledge and creativity is second to none - he can highly recommend him to basically any position.
“A product owner with great passion and skills to push the product further. His focused and clear vision, dedication and ability to motivate and lead people to reach project targets are outstanding.
Built a B2B SaaS + connected-apparel ecosystem turning physical fan touchpoints into sovereign first-party relationships. Official inclusion in UEFA Circular Economy Guidelines.
Architected a blockchain-based, fan-governed rugby membership scaled to 1,000+ professional athletes and senior industry executives.
Overhauled product architecture, brand identity and DTC journey for a European fitness brand - accelerating cross-border growth.
Led GTM and 1st-party data strategy for Nike, adidas, Lufthansa, FC Bayern, VF-Corp and Philips. Re-engineered product marketing for connected retail.
Built and launched adidas Creator Studio - the single largest CRM activation in adidas football history. Led the 2018 FIFA World Cup Smart Ball concept.
Product lead for the elite data analysis systems used by Germany's 2014 FIFA World Cup–winning national team.
Delivered the sports industry's first league-wide wearable platform - exclusive partnership with Major League Soccer.
Lifecycle, category creation, global GTM
NFC, IoT, smart apparel, sensor systems
1st-party architectures, attribution, elite analytics
0→1 ventures, R&D, physical-digital systems
Direct-to-consumer, CRM, brand & community
C-suite, cross-functional teams, P&L ownership
Senior executive who has already done it - built wearables for World-Cup-winning teams, shipped CRM at brand scale, founded category-defining ventures, and translated emerging tech (NFC, IoT, AI, Web3) into measurable commercial outcomes. Comfortable with founders, boards and shop-floor engineers in the same hour.
Why sports needs to change its focus
Long live experience sponsorship
Connected products as the key to a hyperconnected world
Rethinking products for a connected world
Re-defining 'product' for a hyper-connected age
A decade-defining lens on the industry
Senior executive mandates, board advisory, fractional leadership and high-stakes product launches. Based in Sweden, operating globally.