ukactive has unveiled the nine tech start-ups that have made it onto this year’s ActiveLab programme, at a launch event this evening (7 March) in London.
The nine companies have been identified as potential game-changers for the physical activity sector, beating off fierce competition from more than 60 applicants drawn from five continents and 14 countries.
As the spotlight falls upon fit-tech – with the extraordinary rise of the $4bn-valued Peloton and the upcoming launch of the Harry Potter-themed successor to Pokemon Go – these nine start-ups represent the next wave of pioneering fit-tech.
ActiveLab, supported by international technology firms Jonas Software and Life Fitness, is an accelerator programme designed to support fit-tech start-ups to transform public health by engaging more people in physical activity.
This year’s start-ups are at a more advanced stage than those which took part in previous years, ready to scale rapidly over the next 12 months with the support of the physical activity sector.
The 2019 cohort includes an immersive rehab programme which uses virtual reality to improve recovery, a cloud-based 3D body scanner, and an artificial intelligence personal trainer, among an array of interesting concepts.
The successful companies will now undergo a 12-week programme which includes expert training, strategic development, account management support and access to a vast network of fitness and technology partners.
The ActiveLab launch event also saw the unveiling of a new report from ukactive and Life Fitness, entitled ‘The Current State of Fit-tech’, which reveals existing consumer relationships with fit-tech, exploring whether they use it, how they use it and what they want to see in the future.
Findings from the report include:
- 79% of people use technology to support their health and wellbeing.
- 85% of active people use technology to support their health and wellbeing.
- A majority of commercial fitness organisations believe that fit-tech is central to creating better customer experiences and improving retention.
ActiveLab culminates with ActiveLab Live, which will see all of the nine start-ups battle it out in a live-pitch competition at Active Uprising in Manchester Central on 6 June.
Before then, each of the ActiveLab start-ups will be showcasing their products in full at physical activity tradeshow Elevate on 8-9 May, as part of the new Elevate Tech Lab.
ukactive CEO Steven Ward said: “These nine fit-tech startups overcame competition from some fantastic concepts from across the globe to feature in this year’s ActiveLab cohort, and it shows.
“Each has the potential to transform the way how, when and where we exercise, and we are hugely excited to introduce them to our sector, which is always ready to embrace innovative new technologies.”
Life Fitness Director of Customer Solutions, Digital Ventures Group, Leon Rudge said: “As the world’s largest fitness solutions brand, we are passionate about discovering new and innovative ways in which to engage people in exercise.
“By partnering with ActiveLab, we can share our knowledge and experiences to support new innovators and we’re really excited to see what solutions this year’s programme uncovers.”
Jonas Business Unit Manager Tom Withers said: “We’re excited to be part of ActiveLab this year, and support the next generation of FitTech businesses in the physical activity sector.
“Technology is rapidly changing the face of our sector, and these businesses represent the opportunity FitTech represents to bring huge amounts of value to the physical activity sector.”
The full list of ActiveLab 2019 start-ups are as follows:
BlazePod
Coach AI
Fittrack
GoSweat
HealthPod
Immersive Rehab
Playermaker
Rocket Impact
Shapewatch
To read more about the ActiveLab programme and how you can get involved click here.
More People More Active More Often
