New technology from startup ventures is transforming the sports industry. The mission of this series is to introduce startup companies in the sports technology space to a broader audience and allow Founders of promising new ventures to tell their story. Feel free to contact us if you know of a startup that should be considered for this series.
Company: Training Optimizations System (TOPS)
CEO: Jim Hagberg, PhD
Headquarters: Columbia, MD
1. What is your elevator pitch?
The Mission of Training Optimization System (TOPS), LLC is to provide athletes with phone apps to prepare them to train and perform optimally by optimizing their carbohydrate repletion, rehydration, and injury prevention.
What to do with all that heart rate and body weight data athletes generate? From that information, our apps provide athletes with scientifically-based guidelines to optimize their muscle glycogen repletion and rehydration, two major causes of athletes not performing to their maximal capacity during their training sessions and competitive events. The algorithms are developed by an internationally-renowned University of Maryland exercise physiologist, Jim Hagberg PhD, based on 40+ years of high level exercise physiology research and involvement with Division 1 NCAA athletes. We also have another 12-15 features under development to address injury prevention and additional hydration issues.
2. Problems and Solutions
Athletes lead busy lives and while they are intensely focused on their training, they often do not attend to critical dietary and hydration issues between training sessions and prior to competitive events, which result in them not being in an optimal physiological state for their next training session or competitive event. Our phone apps use heart rate and body weight to provide athletes with both (a) session-specific rehydration programs via phone messaging and (b) detailed information as to the amount of carbohydrates they need to ingest to replenish their muscle glycogen stores prior to their next training session or competitive event.
3. Market (Target and Overall Market)
Currently our android and iOS apps are primarily for athletes or serious recreational exercisers. In the future, additional features will be implemented that will expand our offerings for athletes and recreational exercisers, but will also extend to individuals exercising for weight loss and the numerous other health benefits of exercise. Thus, the market is already substantial and it will increase dramatically with the implementation of our additional future features.
4. Business Model
We have had the android versions of the app available for over 2 years but we did not start marketing until we had the iOS versions available, which occurred only 2 months ago. We have now begun marketing the apps via our numerous, long-standing links with a number of major NCAA Division 1 and smaller universities, national sports organizations, and local and regional running, cycling, and triathlon clubs. Our future depends on linking in some fashion with a major wearable technology company or a heart rate monitor company to allow us the resources to finish our entire System of features.
5. Management Team
Chief Scientific Officer: Jim Hagberg, PhD
Chief Android Developer: Chris Doyle
Chief iOS Developer: Marc Nieto
Chief Technical Oversight: Phi Gianuzzi
6. What else does the audience need to know?
What you see now is only the tip of the iceberg for our final end-product. Also, all of our apps are based 100% on published, peer-reviewed scientific literature and guidelines and position statements from national scientific organizations. Thus, any apps released by Training Optimization System are the most valid such apps available.