Kinexon to develop products and tech to better serve female athletes
The GIST: Women’s sports are still the moment. Last week, wearable tracking provider Kinexon announced its new partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop products and technology to better serve female athletes. It's about damn time.
The reasoning: While Kinexon exists in both the sports and industry spheres, its Women’s Initiative looks to collect “pertinent, high-quality data” to better inform a women-centered, analytical approach to sports and training.
- Sports data and programming often defaults to studies of male athletes, ignoring that training regimens should be tailored based on physique, injury risk, performance, menstruation, and body measurements.
- For example, ACL injuries are significantly more likely in women than in men: English soccer captain Leah Williamson, American forward Christen Press, and Canadian forward Janine Beckie will all likely miss Women’s World Cup action this summer due to ACL tears.
The beginning: Kinexon and AWS have already introduced cycle tracking data in an effort to ensure the impact of monthly hormonal fluctuations on athletic performance is reflected in professional sports training and load control. Here for it.
The trend: Kinexon’s emphasis on women-focused products is part of a larger trend of prioritizing women’s needs in the innovation, creation, and manufacturing processes of sports apparel and technology. Previously, women were often forced to purchase men’s merchandise and equipment and rely on data that wasn’t created or sourced with them in mind.
- Some other companies putting women first? Nike, with their proprietary leak-proof liners, Lululemon’s new designed-for-women shoe series, and the first women’s-specific basketball brand, Moolah Kicks.
Zooming out: From tech to shoes, there is serious demand for better data and products that cater specifically to women, and it will only increase as women’s sports continue to grow at all levels. Not only is it good business to invest in women’s sports but also in sports-adjacent brands that ensure women are reflected in their products. Ace.
