A London start-up that makes smart insoles for runners, with sensors that measure how your feet hit the ground.
Nurvv makes smart insoles for runners. A pair of insoles slips inside any running shoe, and each one holds 32 sensors that record how the foot meets the ground. The system measures things such as cadence (how many steps you take a minute), step length, footstrike, pronation (how the foot rolls inwards) and balance. Each sensor records about 1,000 times a second and sends the data to a coaching app, which can give live feedback while you run. The product is called Nurvv Run, and it was launched at the CES technology show in 2020.
The company was founded by Jason Roberts, its chief executive, and his wife Ulrica Roberts, a co-founder. The technology was developed with sports scientists from UK universities. Its mission, as stated on a jobs-site profile, is "Our mission is to help everyone find their true running potential". Ms Roberts explained the idea this way: "Why is running measured from the wrist, when most of the important metrics happen at the feet?" The company says its aim is to help runners of all levels improve faster and more safely.
Nurvv describes itself as a London-based start-up working on a new category of wearables. A jobs-site profile lists its office in Richmond upon Thames, in south-west London, which it says is a short journey from central London. The same profile shows only 13 employees, which is a small number and may be out of date. Nurvv Run also announced a partnership with England Athletics and named the Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes as a global ambassador, according to trade-press headlines.
The profile describes the team as diverse and working in a typical start-up style, focused on the customer. It mentions taking risks, a fluid atmosphere, and continually improving while having fun as people learn and grow. These are the company's own words. A very small team usually means that each person does a wide mix of jobs and sees the result of their work quickly, although we cannot say how that works in practice at Nurvv.
Small hardware companies employ people in many roles. Electronics and embedded software engineers make the sensors and insoles. App developers and data scientists build the coaching and analysis. Biomechanics and sport-science specialists work out what the numbers mean for a runner. Product designers, manufacturing and supply-chain staff make sure the hardware can be built reliably. Marketing and customer-support staff work with the running community. Engineering, sport science, design and computing are typical subjects. Check the company's own website for what it currently lists.
Website: www.nurvv.com
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