As part of its first launchpad program, the National Basketball Association (NBA) wants to work with Berlin-based Betterguards Technology GmbH to jointly develop technologies that prevent joint injuries.
Betterguards, a Berlin-based company that focuses on joint protection and performance enhancement, is one of the five winners of the NBA Launchpad program. In June 2021, the American professional basketball league called on entrepreneurs, start-ups, academics and professionals from the health and work sector to submit products that could improve the game in the following areas: innovative prevention and recovery of ankle injuries, improvement of Health and wellbeing in youth basketball, enhancing the performance of elite youth players and improving the training and development of referees. As a result, 300 companies applied for the four innovation areas advertised by the NBA. Together with Betterguards, the NBA now wants to develop products to reduce the negative effects of ankle injuries on basketball players.
Betterguards technology in outdoor shoes too
Since ankle injuries can occur not only in basketball but also when hiking, Betterguards also designs solutions for this area. Where alternative solutions such as orthoses restrict movement too much and classic soft beddings do not offer sufficient protection, Betterguards technology wants to enable natural freedom of movement with effective joint protection and will be an important part of outdoor shoes in the future. Therefore, the Berlin company is also looking for partners from the outdoor industry.
Betterguards was founded in 2014. The shareholders include ex-professional soccer player Philipp Lahm and cabaret artist Eckart von Hirschhausen. The company is based in Berlin, with production in Brandenburg. The advisory board is made up of experts from different disciplines. Among other things, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marc Kraft (TU Berlin, Medical Technology), Prof. Dr. Steffen Willwacher (Offenburg University, Biomechanics) as well as Tiago da Silva (StartUp Mentor and former board member of Bauerfeind AG) for business. The company currently has 24 employees.
