Uplift Labs Unveils Its First DTC iOS App

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Uplift Labs today unveiled its first direct-to-consumer iOS app, Uplift, which represents the company’s first formal foray into single-camera motion analysis and generative AI.

Initially, the app will focus on providing markerless analysis of vertical jumps (a measure of lower-body strength and explosiveness) from a direct, frontal view. Eventually, the platform will include assessments of other types of athletic movements, potentially including running, throwing and swimming, Sukemasa Kabayama, co-founder and CEO of Uplift, told SBJ.

Uplift has also trained generative AI models to provide personalized assistance in deciphering data, creating training programs and proactively flagging injury risks. The app will additionally include gamification features and leaderboards to help guide and track user improvements over time.

“We really want to democratize and help with accessibility,” Kabayama said. “Anyone with just a smartphone can have more than just a sports performance lab in their pocket.”

Uplift’s main product, Uplift Capture—used by MLB, a third of MLB teams, and several college baseball programs and academies—requires two iPhone or iPad cameras and typically takes five to 10 minutes to generate reports. A single-camera solution will return feedback in seconds.

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Kabayama said Uplift’s single-camera platform has been in development for two years, and the “AI trainer” for the past year. He compared Uplift’s suite of app offerings—and the availability of those offerings—to what wearables from WHOOP and OURA have developed for biometric tracking, but for biomechanics.

The use of generative AI is new for Uplift, whose offerings have traditionally relied solely on computer vision and machine learning. Kabayama said Robert Butler, Uplift’s chief implementation officer, played a key role in creating personalized recommendation exercises and safeguards that prevent models from hallucinating.

“Think of it like Chat-GPT,” Kabayama said. “After you do a vertical jump, ‘Okay, your results are 19.3 inches, and we recommend the next one to go 21.2 inches — here’s how you can do that.’ And then you’re like, ‘I know what Farmer’s Carry is, but I don’t know what Turkish Getup looks like. Can you show me some images?’ Boom. It spits it out… You have a complete, interactive experience.”

To celebrate the launch, Uplift is offering full access to 30-day free trials of the app to both organizations and consumers. After that, a consumer app subscription will cost $12.99 per month or $129.99 per year. B2B subscriptions are priced by location.

Uplift Labs was a finalist in the 2023 Sports Business Awards: Tech for the Best in Athlete Performance Technology category. Nominations for this year’s awards are now open, and the nomination window closes on October 21. You can browse the categories and make a nomination here.