New technology from startup ventures is transforming the global sports industry. This Startup Series has introduced over 300 startup companies in the sports technology space to a broader audience by allowing Founders of promising new ventures to tell their story and pitch their idea. Feel free to submit your startup’s answers to the below questions or contact us if you know of a startup that should be considered for inclusion in this series.
Company name: HitCheck
Founder(s): Mike Piha, Jake Benford, Rod Beckstrom
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Website: http://www.hitcheck.com
1. What is your elevator pitch?
HitCheck is the mobile app that helps you screen for signs of a concussion in minutes — anytime, anywhere — right from your smartphone (iOS and Android). Designed for everyday use by parents, coaches, trainers and active individuals of all ages, the app’s game-like test measures brain functions that indicate the likelihood of concussion and delivers real-time results so you can make more-informed decisions about when to sit out, seek medical attention or get back in the game. By sharing a timely, personalized assessment with a medical practitioner HitCheck can help improve diagnoses and treatment, monitor recovery, track concussion history, make smarter return-to-play decisions and detect underlying symptoms (with regular testing).HitCheck offers a user dashboard for administrators and coaches to manage the activity of their teams/participants confirming who has taken the baseline, post injury and recovery tests.
2. Problem & Solution
Undetected Concussions:Approximately 5M concussions are sustained annually from sports related injuries and only half are diagnosed, 40% of youth athletes with concussions return the play the same day. 47% of of sports-related ER concussion visits are children ages 12-15. There is a 200% increase in the rate of high school concussions in the last decade.
Declining Activity:
Youth participation in team sports is declining. In addition to contributing to the country’s well-documented childhood obesity rates, declines in youth sports participation could bear long-lasting consequences, such as slower physical and mental development, as well as reduced activity into adulthood.