Year
2016
Client
Elanation (AUS)
Category
LAUNCH & SCALE MOBILE APP AND KIDS SPORTSWATCH
Product Duration
5 years
This project, Elanation, was a massive undertaking combining funding, technology, education, and marketing. The initial research was driven by the challenge of solving the low engagement and high abandonment rates typical of children's fitness initiatives. This involved understanding how to best leverage wearable technology and gamification to change children's behaviour and inspire daily activity. The core goal was to conceptualise a safe, easy-to-use digital fitness education platform that rewarded physical activity and provided access to new learning skills, moving beyond simple tracking to genuinely encourage kids to get active.
The design focused on creating the #1 health and fitness app for kids—a SaaS mobile social application integrated with a Bluetooth sports-watch. The user experience was built around high engagement, featuring tools and content from renowned athletes (such as Brand Ambassador Dara Torres) to encourage kids to try new sports. I led the product strategy and design, ensuring the platform was visually engaging and intuitive to meet the needs of the 9–11 age demographic.
The platform was engineered as a comprehensive system spanning both software and hardware. The mobile application was developed using UNITY for both iOS and Android, while the backend was secured with Python. Analytics were tracked using Firebase and Google Analytics. Key to the product was the integration of the Hardware SDK for the proprietary wearable with HR monitoring. This complex development effort was executed in partnership with the core team, including Lead Engineer James Murchison of Chaos Theory, across multiple international locations: Australia, USA, and China.
The launch and growth phase demonstrated immediate success and high traction. I led the end-to-end venturing efforts, which included successfully raising $US1,500,000 from international investors and securing Elanation as a Global Techstars Portfolio company (selecting less than 1% of startups globally). The results included a 310% quarterly revenue growth and phenomenal subscriber retention, with 82% of subscribers renewing monthly. The company secured a National Retail distribution deal with Rebel Sport, generated $250,000 in Year 1 hardware sales, and was ultimately sold to a larger EdTech player after winning seven International awards, including the #1 EdTech platform at the Global Silicon Valley Competition.
