Our Project
Project name “advansTREK®” – the bio-mechanical approach to a new dimension in Group Fitness
Legal form Advanstrek KG. is a lean startup bootstrapped from the ground floor by its founders – initial founding was and is carried out using our own personal resources and some revenue of another limited liability company we also own and run in parallel.
Project short description We developed a new work out concept for the fitness industry that, based on its inclusive nature and bio-mechanical* design it also suits the preventative and rehabilitative care. advansTREK® brings a new dimension into group exercise as an innovative and very effective workout program inspired by hiking in Austria’s fascinating natural environments – an all age activity soaring in its popularity, adapted for the equally popular gym equipment – the treadmill.
Sector By applying and integrating bio-mechanical knowledge in improving human movement** our business reaches all the way from the fitness sector through prevention & rehabilitation into life sciences
Region We established a partnership company for this particular project in the Vienna region (Lower Austria)
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Claim: advansTREK® is a revolutionary new studio group exercise program that provide our customers (Fitness Center owners/operators) sustained competitive advantage (i.e.profit), by ensuring increased members participation and retention (i.e.members satisfaction)
Support for our claim:
- Creative, regularly refreshed group fitness programs on custom designed bio-mechanical devices, great music, new motions => reduces the natural tendency of decrease in attendance over time => retention => increased profit
- Appealing to larger audiences, all age groups and fitness levels, it nurtures a culture of social interaction => satisfaction => retention + new members (by referral) => increased profit
- Adherence is ensured by instructor supervision, that generates sustainable results => retention + new members (by referral) => increased profit
Customer Pain Points (pains & problems of out target customer that we are aiming to alleviate) Main PP in case of our B2B target clients: Member attendance, Adherence, Drop out and Retention. Indirect pains (some of the problems of the customers of our customers): aging and overweight population, declining general health. Partly due to these we see high member attrition, low levels of adherence leading to drop out, as well as unpredictable fluctuation in attendance due to low stamina, the need for affordable instructing, inclusive programs and constant novelty.
Our Proposed Solution (how we intend to solve the pains & problems of out target customers)
Group Fitness Classes are the future. Knowing this we help operators adopt more inclusive programs and a broader community/health focus through a fresh concept that is sustainable, renewable and has strong customer retaining attributes.
Competition How is our product solving a specific problem for our customers: Aside the positive effect of ensuring group dynamics, building accountability and strong relationships that help our customer better understand their members (reduces attrition), our new concept in group exercise periodically ensures new and exciting classes due to the high degree of creativity supported by the broad range of motions and the bio-mechanical equipment itself.
Creative new programs with great music and new, but simple motions, suited for a broader range of members will always attract new members and ensure their sustained attendance.
How are competitors trying to solve or bypass this problem today and what is the currently available solution closest to what we provide: There are a growing variety of group fitness classes available for fitness centers to attract new members, however most of them are either suited for the more trained audience (limiting factor) or fail to improve retention (having a much lower cost factor than new member acquisition), lacking the capacity for fast and easy implementation of new creative programs (strong retainer factor).
Unique Selling Proposition (what differentiates our product and services from others in the market) Our program is based on one of the most popular activities in the target market (walking, hiking, trekking). Adding to this our custom designed bio-mechanical equipment itself, it allows for a high degree of creativity. This is inherently supported by a broad range of motions that can be regularly re-tailored by our experienced instructors and program managers. This makes advansTREK® an easily implemented, new, inclusive and creative (strongest retaining factor!) program.
- Bio-metric design, custom built equipment,
- Broad & constantly renewable range of motions & creative program structures, tailored by instructors, based on group demand,
- Suitability to all ages & fitness levels, as well as for rehab.& prevention,
- Based on the most popular activity/environment & equipment
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Credentials – founders (academic background and field of study)
- Daniel Kapusy – Canada. Diploma in Professional Engineering, MBA. Mechanical Engineering – Material Studies, Economy, Finance, Product Development, OD., Sales and Marketing, Business Development (Trans National MBA program)
- Zita Hari – Hungary. Diploma in PE, Health & Recreation Management – University Eötvös Loránd (ELTE), Faculty of Education (MA level Pedagogy), Department of Physical Education (PE). Fitness Instructor and Master Trainer for indoor waking
Business Model We develop customized B2B purchase or lease plans for selected fitness center owners/operators in order to facilitate them to share part of their profits, sustained by the competitive advantage, provided by our new concept (i.e. increased participation & member’s satisfaction).
Intellectual Property Rights Advanstrek KG., an Austrian company is granted exclusive IPR ofadvansTREK® by KVA Consulting Ltd. KVA Ltd. is another EC company, the owner and registrant of the European Community Trademark (CTM), also formally affiliated to founders.
The Development Team – background (key players of our management team, professional consultants, advisors, investors, etc.):
- Daniel Kapusy Strategy, Product/Service & Business Development, Canada – Engineering, Innovation, International Business Development, Strategy and Organization Development
- Zita Hari Product/Service Development, Master Trainer, Hungary – PE, Recreation, Health, Prevention, Senior Fitness Trainer
- E. Kapusy, over seas advisor – Medical, Health & bio-mechanical expert, Canada – Medical Doctor, Pediatrician, Injury prevention
- Meggie Gera, advansTREK® Master Trainer, Accredited Fitness Instructor, Austria – Group Fitness Instructor (multiple), Fitness coach
What makes our team special? We are a multi-disciplinary team of international experts with strong interdisciplinary skills, experience & sound background in the main & related industries, as well as some specific fields of our business venture. Some of us have more than 25 years multinational experience in our respective filed and proven track records for establishing and growing new businesses in foreign markets.
Current Status During the 9 months following bootstrapping of advansTREK® we achieved the following:
- Concept was worked out and market validation started
- Product design and service setup commenced
- Differentiators set clearly.
- Marketing work commenced – image, color scheme, logo, templates worked out, FB presence and web-space established, some white papers and market/product/services documentation and own articles were drafted (so far all this is carried out in native language – English, soon all this needs professional translation onto target market language – German)
- Application for Community Trade Marc (CTM) registered at OHIM, community search report received (no conflicting CTM or CTM application were found), CTM granted.
- Primary domain manes registered in target markets (Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark). www.advanstrek.com; www.advanstrek.eu; www.advamnstrek.at, www.advanstrek.de
- On line content marketing started and virtual presence established and increasing
- Initial development (technology and processes) partners identified and contracts established. Legal and business base synchronized.
- Biometrical design phases for the Prototype started – worked out Mark I and Mark II prototypes (this phase will stay on as per adopted kaizen principles of continuous improvement of our products and services – Quality Management
- Prototype development started on Mark II. (same remark as above)
- Testing commenced. (same remark as above)
- Initial partners re-evaluated. New partners involved
- Short (1st) series production started – re-designed parts, processes, sourcing, materials, standards,
- Regulatory compliance, safety concerns, materials and environmental impact evaluated,
- Established manufacturing, surface protection, assembly, shipping & handling, etc.
- Foreign market penetration evaluation started. New legal entity established in 1st foreign market (Austria)
- 2nd series production started – re-designed parts, processes, sourcing and materials
We are looking for further funding As our pre-revenue startup is still in its infancy we are currently looking for outside funding, perhaps angel investors to provide a small accelerator and/or a pre-seed.
Funds will be used for proof of concept and improvement of our chosen prototype, through a third short series production round.
Once we achieve a “seed stage” company size, a seed round can follow.
We are also in search of an Incubator, an organization that can help us develop in our new market at early stage (preferably in exchange for equity in our company).
Grants: Some grant applications were already submitted up till this moment.
Expectations (Our initial expectations of the funding/support program to facilitate launching and growing our products/services) We are looking for support in the following areas:
- Growing our local network,
- Enhance our industry exposure (locally and globally),
- Strategize our growth,
- White paper and documentation validation
- Professional translation of written material (technical, marketing, sales, support etc.) from English into German,
- Proof of concept
- Promotion or the new concept (products & services) on the new, but already established markets (Austria and Germany to start with), foreign market penetration,
- Social capital enhancement,
- Legal advice,
- Partnership identification and development, etc.
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*by integrating our new engineering design with information about the human performer we constantly strive for improvements in our equipment based on biomechanics
** biomechanics, one of the academic sub disciplines of kinesiology – the scholarly study of human movement