A Walnut Creek sports innovation company is putting $7 million behind a basketball training franchise that uses gamified technology to coach athletes.

COPA Innovation Laboratories, based at 2640 Shadelands Drive, led the growth funding round in Shoot 360 through its investment arm, COPA Venture Capital, the two companies announced in a joint press release on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Shoot 360 already operates a Walnut Creek location, branded as Shoot 360 Ultimate Fieldhouse. The company has grown to more than 65 locations across the U.S. and internationally since founder Craig Moody launched it in 2012.

The deal pairs COPA's athlete-assessment and performance-data work with Shoot 360's franchise model and training technology. Shoot 360's system tracks shooting arc, depth, alignment, passing velocity and ball-handling precision using machine vision and real-time analytics.

"This investment gives us the resources to bring that experience to more communities, accelerate our technology, and give more athletes the ability to understand their progress in real time," Moody said in the announcement.

Moody has said the idea started at home. His son's teammates chose video games over playing basketball outside, so he rented a warehouse and began building the concept at night, according to Athletech News. Twenty-nine of 30 NBA teams now use the company's technology, branded as Noah Basketball inside team facilities, Moody told the outlet.

Mark D. Hall, CEO and founder of COPA Innovation Laboratories, said in the press release that the partnership brings together COPA's investment in athlete assessment and performance data with Shoot 360's technology platform and franchise system.

COPA, founded in 2015, operates a portfolio that includes COPA Soccer Training Centers and COPA Venture Capital. Hall also owns Hall Equities Group, ZMC Hotels and National SportsMall Realty. COPA Soccer Training Center, one of the company's portfolio businesses, occupies a 105,000-square-foot facility at 2640 Shadelands Drive in Walnut Creek.

Shoot 360 has been expanding across the Bay Area. Three new locations inside City Sports Club gyms in San Francisco and San Jose opened in partnership with Golden State Sports Academy, with grand openings on July 26 in San Jose and Aug. 1 in San Francisco, according to a separate press release. The company has also announced a collaboration with LA Fitness to bring training courts to six locations in California, Oregon and Washington.