ASICS invests in Canadian motion-capture tech startup
Curv Labs Inc. is a Toronto-based software company whose product can turn your smartphone into a gait analysis tool
The venture capital division of Japanese running shoe company ASICS has entered into an equity partnership with a Canadian tech startup whose software could turn a runner’s smartphone video camera into a gait analysis tool.
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The motion-capture software was developed by Toronto tech startup Curv Labs, Inc. Potentially, individuals can use the technology to, among other things, perform their own gait analysis, so they can improve their running efficiency and manage their injury risk.
“While at the University of Toronto, we recognized the traditional ways of measuring movement were going to be replaced by video,” Curv Labs’ CEO and co-founder, academic-turned-entrepreneur Shea Balish told us. “Video is relatively frictionless and cost-effective, and includes a phenomenal amount of data.”
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In 2018 Curv Labs, along with four other startups, participated in TENKAN-TEN Growth Catalyst, ASICS’ first global acceleration program for sport tech startups, benefitting from the program’s mentoring and financial support to help prepare it to attract investors.
“Being a highly technical company, we wanted to partner with a highly technical brand,” Balish added, “and one that shares our mission of democratizing tools that offer health insights, such as the ability to conduct a clinical-grade gait analysis with a mobile device.”
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