Imoves - a digital teaching platform to help get schools active - has been named inaugural winner of ukactive’s innovation accelerator programme ActiveLab.
Beating 11 other finalists, the startup scooped the top prize of an accelerator toolkit worth more than £25,000 ($30,660, €28,580) after winning over the judging panel and votes from a live audience at ActiveLab Live! on Wednesday (15 March) in east London.
Imoves consists of online PE and dance packages to help schools deliver PE plans. It now plans to build on the 500-plus UK schools it already works with and pursue international expansion.
“ActiveLab has been transformational for us, a small company living through day-to-day sales, focused on where we could get the next sale," said co-founder Ian Pickles.
“It really allowed us to raise our heads up and think about what we could do differently now and what we can achieve in the future. We now know we can scale rapidly in the UK and have ambitions to export Imoves overseas. In terms of ActiveLab Live! the pitch was frightening to say the least, but I think the win came from our enthusiasm for getting kids active by inspiring their teachers and parents.”
Launched last year, ActiveLab is a three-month programme that provides the opportunity for 12 finalists to network with investors and leading physical activity brands, receive tailored mentorship and take part in a series of workshops on the challenges of scaling a business.
ukactive executive director Steven Ward said the strength of the finalists proved the depth of talent around physical activity sector innovation.
He said: “Technology is presenting opportunities and challenges to the physical activity sector at unprecedented pace, meaning we must embrace new ways of working and innovative partners to survive and succeed.
“The years ahead offer a golden age for physical activity ventures with innovation at their core. Today’s physical activity leaders see technology not as a risk to be managed, but a major opportunity to hit new heights.
“We have to be open and fearless in evaluating our current strategies and calculating how they must adapt to the challenges of the future.”
Hosted by BBC technology journalist Kate Russell, the one-day conference consisted of keynotes from technology and entrepreneurship thought leaders, plus panel sessions exploring physical activity opportunities around gamification, artificial intelligence, wearable tech and behaviour change.
Thought Expansion Network founder Jonathan MacDonald – a change advocate who has advised Google, Apple and Microsoft – addressed the potential for societal change brought about by the digital landscape, while Mars One chief executive Bas Lansdorp shared his vision for the groundbreaking project to colonise Mars by 2032. In addition, Tech City UK chief operating officer MB Christie gave an overview of digital technology as the growth engine for the future.
