Evolv Technologies Holdings, Inc., a leading security technology company pioneering AI-based solutions designed to create safer experiences, today announced that it has renewed and expanded its subscription agreement with the Houston Astros, a Major League Baseball team. Under the new agreement, which builds on an original partnership initiated in 2023, the Astros are upgrading their Express fleet to the latest Evolv Express® Gen2 hardware.
Evolv Express uses advanced sensor technology and AI to detect concealed threats and identify the person and location of the potential threat, while allowing people to move through checkpoints at their natural walking pace. The system is designed to screen visitors effectively while helping minimize congestion and disruptions to traffic flow at entry points. These systems are deployed venue-wide at Daikin Park, the team’s 41,000-seat stadium in downtown Houston, TX, and provide entry screening for all guests and ballpark staff.
The renewal agreement also deploys Evolv eXpedite™ systems at Daikin Park, a first for a professional baseball stadium. eXpedite is Evolv’s AI-powered weapons detection solution for bags and is intended as a complement to Express in situations where venue entrants are carrying multiple items. At Daikin Park, the eXpedite units will perform screening for venue staff, who often arrive with high-clutter bags.
“Evolv has been a trusted supplier to the Astros since 2023, and we look forward to continuing our productive relationship into the future,” said Marcel Braithwaite, the team’s Senior Vice President, Business Operations. “Over the years, Express has helped us create a great guest arrival experience at hundreds of ballgames, concerts, and other events at Daikin Park. The upgrade to Gen2 hardware and the addition of eXpedite help us continue to deliver on our experience goals and standards for guests and staff alike.”
“We’re pleased to grow and renew our relationship with the Astros and Daikin Park,” stated John Baier, Evolv’s Vice President of Sports & Entertainment. “Together with the world-class staff at the team and ballpark, we’ve had a positive impact on more than nine million venue guests to date, and we’re excited to help welcome many million more in the coming years.”
With the Astros renewal, Evolv’s customer count in professional baseball stands at twelve. The new subscription agreement also cements the company’s position within the Houston sports market, where all four major league teams are customers. In addition, elsewhere in Texas, Evolv has professional and collegiate sports customers spanning from Dallas to El Paso. Worldwide, the company counts some 100 organizations on its sports and entertainment customer roster.