I met some great startups and sports entrepreneurs during yesterday’s MIT Sports Summit. Sports specific wearables were popular, and I got some awesome new swag for my ski poles. If you’re interested in the intersection of sports and startups, check out three companies below that are innovating in the world of sports!
Powder Bunnies
Powder Bunnies was started by a group of undergrads at MIT who wanted to up the steeze on their ski poles. They’re creating custom ski pole baskets that fit to any size pole, and have some really cool designs.
The team showed me some of the designs for their upcoming products and they have some really creative stuff in the works. They even gave me a free pair of the Colorado themed ones which I can’t wait to try. This may not be a typical MIT tech startup, but I was super energized by their passion and think they have a lot of exciting growth ahead.
Helios Hockey
Started by an MIT electrical engineering and computer science alumni, Helios Hockey is on a mission to bring performance data and feedback to the fingertips of hockey players. The Helios wearable device (Helios Core™) uses a game-changing Stride Recognition Technology™ (SRT) that the company developed to recognize left and right skating stride. This allows them to track hockey specific performance metrics like the ones below:
Helios is currently selling to retail customers at 30 Pure Hockey locations across the US. The company charges a monthly subscription for their service, which includes access to data and insights through their mobile app. Helios has also gamified the in app experience by allowing you to earn points and compete with other players within the app. I really enjoyed talking to the founder Bill Near and am looking forward to what’s ahead for this exciting sports startup.
Incus
Another sports specific wearable, Incus focuses on runners, swimmers, and triathletes. The INCUS | NOVA device is a weightless device that seamlessly slots into their high-performance apparel to give athletes unparalleled insights into their swimming and running technique.
Unlike other fitness wearables, the INCUS | NOVA device automatically recognizes aspects of your technique that relate to your performance and injury, including World-first measures of efficiency and balance. It also connects to your existing smart devices to bring all your performance data into one place. As someone who has tried out a variety of wearables, I was excited to see Incus focusing their device on specific athlete verticals to provide the most tailored insights possible.
I hope you enjoyed reading about these exciting startups! If you want more of these recaps directly to your inbox, subscribe below. Up next I’ll be covering startup showcases at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and the MIT Sloan Asia Business Conference.