ATTIS Fitness was set up in 2016 after avid runner Tim Elizondo wanted to make a fitness tracker with more features. Its first product Stridsense was launched at the end of last year and is the only wearable fitness tracker on the market which can analyse a runner’s whole stride without the need to visit a laboratory. The company is now set to take its tech worldwide after a six-figure cash boost from an investor group led by Gabriel Investment Syndicate

Name: Tim Elizondo

Age: 26

Position: Founder

WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?

Attis Fitness

WHERE IS IT BASED?

Glasgow

WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?

I’M an avid runner and in 2016 I got fed up with the range of fitness trackers available. I did work at university on sports labs as part of my sports engineering degree. There is a huge amount of data available and you can reduce your risk of injury. I had never done anything like it. I wanted to make this technology readily available and accessible to all – not just professionals.

I went to the Sports Innovation Challenge through Sport Hive [the UK’s first sports business incubator] based at Stirling University Innovation Park and that kickstarted everything. I got through to the final. We went through 150 prototypes and did testing and then got investment from Strathclyde University’s Strathclyde Entrepreneurs Fund, Shancastle Investments and Scottish Enterprise.

Running my own business has always been part of the plan. I came up with the idea and knew it was right.

Lockdown has been good in the sense that lots of people are going out running as gyms are closed but the manufacturing side has suffered as we are working on a skeleton staff. Getting electrical components has been hard as there is a worldwide shortage. The support from people has been overwhelming and everyone has been keen to keep small businesses going.

WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?

MARATHON runners as well as club and competitive runners. People who want to reduce their chance of long-term injury. Feedback has been really good. We have gone from an embedded approach to wireless to a wired option.

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?

FITNESS trackers offer GPS, heartrate, distance and mileage but that data doesn’t improve performance. We provide data that no one else can get outside of sports labs.

IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?

YES, my family is from England. I planned to go back there after university. Funding allowed me to start a business in Scotland from the ground up.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?

BEING behind a new concept and technology. Producing something from scratch is a giant leap tech wise.

We have three members of staff. We took on our first hires during lockdown and we couldn’t meet face to face. We have a good workflow now and communicate well. I’m fortunate to have an amazing team.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN RUNNING THE BUSINESS?

GETTING People to take you seriously. There are so many businesses out there and and it’s hard to get people to understand who you are and to build a brand reputation. As we produce more social media content and do more testing it has become easier but it’s difficult when no one has heard of you.

WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?

OUR long-term goal is to be market leaders in running tech. We want to transform the sector. At the moment you have to go to a shop to get your gait analysed and shoes fitted. We want to change the offline aspects of the sector to online so people can do a gait analysis at home and it can be sent to running coaches.