London Looks To Become Fittech Hub

08 Feb 2016 | tshego

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The Mayor of London and London Sport have announced their new ambition for the capital to become the hub of the FitTech industry and a key player in changing the way in which physical activity and sport grows participation levels in the coming years.

FitTech, a term covering technological and digital products and services, focuses specifically on activity and attainment through engagement with physical activity and sport.

London Sport has launched a £100,000 fund for innovative technology ideas to help make Londoners more physically active, offering nine grants in a move to drive a revolution in participation.

The Mayor of London has contributed £50,000 from his Sports Legacy Programme, which is being made available to start-up businesses and entrepreneurs to lead the way in making Londoners more physically active.

Chief executive of London Sport, Peter Fitzboydon, announced the first five recipients of the Sport Technology Innovation Fund as; Sweatcoin, a virtual currency that uses an app to reward people for being active; PhysBT, a platform that helps users to exercise in a way that directly helps mental health; Follow the Light, an LED light system put around running tracks and circuits that acts as a pace setter, Racefully, a smartphone and wearables app that helps people stay motivated, keep fit with  friends from around the world and Exciting Engineering, generating electricity through cycling and putting it back in the grid.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson MP, said: “Fit tech uses technology of all kinds to help people take exercise, reduce obesity and improve their cardiovascular condition. It is a fantastic aim and the capital’s creative innovators have a real opportunity to lead the way in making London a more active city.”  

Peter Fitzboydon, chief executive of London Sport, added: “Making London the world’s most physically active city is an ambition within our reach, but we will only grasp this opportunity if physical activity and sport takes a lead in working with tech and data.

“The recipients of the Sport Technology Innovation Fund have all demonstrated a vision for the future of technology and sport, and we want to foster this vision for the benefit of London as a whole.”

Gavin Starks, chief executive of the Open Data Institute, said: “The Sport Technology Innovation Fund, shows a great commitment to convene expertise in sport, tech and data – the fuel of open innovation. We are excited to see how data can be made relevant and actionable to help people improve their wellbeing, enable innovators to build new products and services, and stimulate cross-sector collaborations and knowledge-sharing for the benefit of all.”