The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) announced that Bisu won its 2021 Start-Up Challenge. Co-founder and CEO Daniel Maggs presented its home health lab that provides personalized nutrition and lifestyle advice through urine and saliva tests. Bisu starts with a nutrient test that tracks markers such as minerals, vitamins, pH, and hydration.

“We’re delighted to have been chosen as the winner and to stand with so many other great finalists,” said Maggs. “Bisu is excited to engage with the sport and fitness industry through the SFIA. We want to use Bisu Body Coach not only to connect people with their own bodies but to connect health and fitness service providers with their customers through data.”

Ten finalists were chosen to compete in the 2021 Challenge. In preparation, finalists submitted pitch videos, developed in conjunction with Spark Inc, to be evaluated by the judges. The finalists each received 15 minutes of live Q&A for the judges to understand each company’s mission and to make their final evaluations.

More than 140 judges participated, including representatives from Brooks, NFL and PUMA, industry investor Next Ventures Sports & Wellness VC, Baird, North Castle Partners, and KB Partners, and innovators Lululemon Whitespace, Under Armour Innovation and Hydrow.

During the competition, judges actively solicited follow-up meetings with applicants to explore potential future partnerships.

As this year’s winner, Bisu receives:

  • virtual meeting with the Under Armour innovation team to discuss business strategy, including the first-hand experience with its UX approach;
  • one-year online intellectual property protection subscription;
  • seed prize of $5,000 provided by OpSec Security; and
  • media marketing package provided by Spark Inc.

“The Start-Up Challenge is an event designed to highlight the newest innovations in sports and fitness,” said SFIA Chief Business Officer Bill Patterson. “All of our applicants, and especially these ten finalists, exemplify the exciting developments within our industry, and the SFIA is proud to provide them with a stage to shine.”

Tom Waller, Chief Science Officer, Lululemon, said, “It has been a pleasure to see the wide range of creative and strategic solutions pointing to the future of our industry. This year has been both a challenge and a catalyst to innovation, and this competition is a fantastic platform to gain insight into diverse talent and ideas that promote confidence in sport going forward.”

Matt Tingler, Managing Director, Baird, added, “SFIA’s Start-Up Challenge has consistently identified the industry leaders of tomorrow, with several past participants having raised meaningful amounts of capital and successfully commercializing their products and technologies. This year’s participants represented a cross-section of companies driving innovation in multiple areas of the sports and fitness industry that will benefit consumers for years to come. The Start-Up Challenge is a great event, providing a platform for entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to the industry’s leaders. It is an event I am always excited about and look forward to.”

In 2022, the Start-Up Challenge will return to its traditional format, held in-person, in conjunction with SFIA’s Industry Leaders Summit.