Let’s face it: It’s inevitable that you will hit the dreaded workout plateau and be bored with your usual routine. When you’re forced to change up your fitness regime, it can seem a little overwhelming. How do you choose from the plethora of activities available — from trendy fitness classes (underwater spinning) to old-world martial arts (tai chi)? Now exercise buffs and sport enthusiasts can rejoice with Sportsetter.
The iPhone app just launched in New York City and Helsinki yesterday. It helps people who are on the lookout for new experiences to find health and fitness products and services they’ll love.
Co-founders Trevor Ferguson and Niko Karstikko developed this fitness concierge service, which uses “matching intelligence” technology to link up health and fitness providers with customers – similar to what Spotify does for music.
“With Sportsetter, all you need is your gym bag and your smart phone,” says co-founder Trevor Ferguson. “With just a few taps and swipes, you can discover new fitness activities that are convenient to your location and fits your lifestyle.”
We recently sat down with Ferguson for this Member Spotlight series — a series that spotlights the individuals behind startups and small businesses. Here’s what he shared:
It started off on paddleboards off the coast of Miami. Niko and I are friends from college at the University of South Carolina. The idea for SportSetter originated in Miami when we both realized that staying healthy could mean more than just working out on the treadmill, but we founded the company in Helsinki.
The toughest part about starting my own business was being so far away from the tech team. I found myself working all hours of the day, due to the 7-hour time difference. We’re based in New York City now, and we believe that it’s the best city in the world to launch a company like SportSetter. The population of both consumers and service providers is ideal, including all of the resources and energy that New York City has to offer.
We’re working on a lot of future developments for SportSetter. We’re hoping to get the “50” largest metropolitan areas active with our app. SportSetter is not stopping with Fitness Discoveries. We have plans to roll out a ton of new features including social features, routine facilitation, and curated product purchases. We currently have over 335 Service Providers, and we’re continuing to attract over 30 new service providers each month, ranging from corporate facilities including Reebok, UFC, YMCA, Crunch gyms to local training facilities and specialized instructors.
My passion for fitness and technology began at an early age. I grew up playing tennis, hockey, and golf competitively. My interest in technology varied from keeping up with the latest sporting equipment, cars, mobile technology, and computers. I also grew up in a household where my father was on the forefront of Laboratory Information Management Systems where I quickly discovered the substantial benefit of technology across many industries on a global scale. These are values that I learned at an early age that I try to pass on to my team.
I believe entrepreneurship is the ticket to freedom. Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone. I firmly believe it’s something that you’re just born with – it takes a lot to endure the ups and downs of startup life and keep your company moving forward. Entrepreneurship is not just a job, it’s a lifestyle. And it’s one that I’m completely addicted to, so I wouldn’t trade being an entrepreneur for anything else.
