The 2017 MIP Awards Dinner is THIS Thursday, November 30th, and we can’t wait! Haven’t reserved your spot? We’re nearly SOLD OUT-reserve here today!
We are wrapping up our MIP Finalists blog series by showcasing the finalists in the “Sports and Active Lifestyle Technologies” category.
Activbody
CEO: Reuben Katz
About the Product: Activ5 is a sleek and portable wireless-enabled handheld device + smartphone app which coaches users through quick 5-minute full-body workouts and measures data, such as strength and precision. Activ5 is ideal for everyone, from working professionals who sit all day, to travelers, seniors, busy moms, students or simply those who find it challenging to fit in daily activity. It’s like having a personal trainer in your pocket!
How did you come up with the idea for your product? Our story began about five years ago when our founder, Dr. Kosta Yanev was told by his physician that he should start strength training to help him stay fit and strong. Strength training has many amazing mental and physical health benefits and Kosta was eager to follow the advice, but his busy work and travel schedule made using weights or machines challenging. As a successful scientist Kosta realized that there were other ways to solve the problem. He went back to the basics of exercise science and behavioral science to create a strength training system – the Activ5 – that makes fast, fun and efficient exercise available to everyone.
What is the hardest obstacle you have had to face? Our hardest obstacle was taking this concept and bringing it to fruition. The Activ5 is the 14th generation of our hardware. When people hear that the Activ5 is the first product we’ve brought to market, they’re surprised because of how well it’s designed. What they don’t know is that we spent years and millions of dollars testing and revising the design to create this first-of-its-kind device.
What is one of your favorite parts of being a startup? We love the access we have to our consumers. From the beginning, we have been dedicated to making the world more active. Having the opportunity to work with everyone-from professional athletes to senior citizens and members of the disabled community- has been very fulfilling.
Athelytix
CEO: Jim Chase
About the Product: Analytics are transforming the world of sports. Athelytix makes these analytics available to players at every level.
How did you come up with the idea for your product? Our inventor, Mike Fontana was a star pitcher at Long Beach State, but never quite reached the major league level. He subsequently became an aerospace engineer and married his two favorite disciplines (baseball and engineering) to conceive of a tool that could help pitchers to realize their full potential
Why did you apply to MIP? We applied to MIP because we believe that we have a unique product that can be of tremendous value to athletes in a variety of sports.
Who is someone who believed in your product? Our most exciting endorsement so far has come from Major League Baseball. We previewed the system with 22 MLB teams prior to the 2016 season and the response was universally positive.
Case by Case
CEO: Ty Aloe
About the Product: Case by Case is the phone case made to fit your lifestyle, not just your phone.
How did you come up with the idea for your product? Case by Case (CXC) is inspired out of the increasing use and necessity of the ever-evolving software applications that consume our everyday lives. There are millions of new apps that enhance the use of your smartphone, but no advancements in hardware to advance the use of your apps. I needed a case that was easily interchangeable between the various activities I use my phones applications for, while focusing on the primary purpose of protection and the secondary need of battery power. Hence the name Case by Case.
What is one of your favorite parts of being a startup? Creating something from nothing but a thought. Watching the genuine reactions that come from the excitement of the next evolution in the cell phone case market. Most importantly, I love meeting the kind and successful people who offer all types of amazing support and assistance.
Why did you apply to MIP? CONNECT has an amazing group of mentors and reach in the San Diego community. Our team wants to be acknowledged and earn the credibility of those involved with CONNECT and the MIP awards. We strive to be a company that is globally recognized, but also greatly involved and appreciated in our local community.
Levitate Technologies
CEO: Mark Doyle
About the Product: The AIRFRAME™ is a lightweight wearable exoskeleton technology engineered to support the upper extremity of professionals and skilled trade workers who are exposed to repetitive elevation of the arms. The AIRFRAME provides all day and seamless ergonomic support and reduces muscle fatigue resulting in a healthier worker.
How did you come up with the idea for your product? Mark Doyle, the CEO and inventor of the AIRFRAME technology for Levitate Technologies, Inc., originally invented the product because he noticed how fatigued surgeons became when they performed hours of surgery (especially laparoscopic surgery) with their arms elevated over patients in the operating room. He went on to invent the AIRFRAME which he felt can be a body-worn exoskeleton for the surgeons to wear. As we marketed the technology, large manufacturing companies like BMW, Toyota, John Deere found out about the AIRFRAME exoskeleton and started to place purchase orders with us. We currently sell to large manufacturing companies and we are still working with surgeons to launch in into the hospital market in the future.
What is the toughest obstacle you have had to face? The transitioning from prototyping to full scale manufacturing.
What is one of your favorite parts of being a startup? The excitement in our customers’ faces when they trial the technology for the first time and realize how much benefit the technology can provide for their health as workers in large manufacturing facilities.