New technology from startup ventures is transforming the sports industry. The mission of our Startup Profile Series is to introduce startup companies in the sports technology space to a broader audience and allow founders of new ventures to tell their story. This particular article is profiling one of the four startups in the inaugural Stadia Ventures Accelerator, which is culminating in a Demo Day on December 10th in St. Louis.
Company: Fishidy
CEO and Founder: Brian Jensen
Headquarters; Madison, Wisconsin
1. What is your elevator pitch?
If I told you that recreational fishing in the U.S is 3 times more popular than golf would you believe me? It is. In fact, there are over 60 million anglers in the U.S alone and Fishidy is the go-to digital platform that helps those anglers succeed on water through authoritative fishing maps and social sharing. Think of us as the “Waze” of Fishing. We sell subscription based content and tools along with products and advertising. Our team members are passionate for fishing along with our vast experience in the software industry. There are many other Fishing apps out there but no one has the exclusive mapping and software like us.
2. Problem & Solution
- 90% of Fish are in 10% of Water – Anglers say detailed fishing maps are the most important piece of information for planning a fishing adventure.
- Existing mapping and logging software is dominated by onboard hardware that cost above $1K
- Anglers list the 3 most reliable sources of fishing information as maps, bait and tackle shops, and friends. These are the pillars to Fishidy’s information foundation.
Fishidy Provides
- Proprietary digital fishing maps that show you the 10% of productive water
- Ability to share information, tips and hot spots through your own social network (even if you are secretive)
- Ability to join waterway communities to get instant updates, shared experiences, crowd sourced mapping and access to local experts
- Brag, show off and boost your ego through contests, games and your own on-the-water success
3. Market – your target market and the overall market
60 Million Anglers Spending $42B Annually in North America. We are focused on the 42M anglers that purchase fishing license and fish more than 3 times a season.
4. Business Model
We sell subscription based content and tools along with products and advertising.
5. Management Team
Brian Jensen- CEO and Founder
Jon Giacalone – Digital Marketing Manager
Drew Gierach – Product Manager
Scott Mencer – Development Manager
6. What do you want the audience to know about your venture?
That fishing is also an option for your free time. With Fishidy, we take the guess work out and make it much more accessible.
Bonus Questions:
If you were stuck on a desert island with any three athletes, who would they be and why?
JJ Watt – Because he has relentless work ethic and he can beat up any animals that try to attack us.
Aaron Rodgers – Because he is a tremendous decision maker and will steer us in the right direction.
Mike Iaconelli – He’s a phenomenal fisherman and we will need him to catch our sustenance.
If you were to invite any CEO to dinner who would it be and why?
Reed Hastings from Netflix or the Founders of Pandora because they have created very successful B2C Saas business models.
If you could go to any sporting event, what would it be and why?
The Green Bay Packers playing in the Super Bowl. The Pack is one of the only things I almost as passionate about as Fishing.
This interview was executed by Grant Son: LinkedIn Profile
A proven innovator and champion in both large corporations and entrepreneurial environments. Professional experience includes serving as CEO of two digital ventures – SchoolSports (top-10 sports website acquired by ESPN) and Greater Good Ventures – as well as senior roles with iconic sports brands such as CBS, the NFL, and Sports Illustrated. MBA in finance from Columbia and BA from the University of Pennsylvania. Thirty years of experience, including 20 years in digital media. Board member and advisor to established companies and more than 20 start-up ventures.
Attended every major sporting event, including six Super Bowls, World Cup Soccer, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, championship boxing, and two Olympics.