About five years ago, Jack Randall was running with a friend along Irving Avenue near the University of Dayton. Mid-conversation, his friend had a seizure and collapsed.
He had a cell phone with him, so they were able to call for help. But endurance athletes don't always carry a phone while they run, Randall said. Had it been the case that day, he wasn't sure what they would have done.
That's what sparked the idea to launch Zoza. Led by Randall and fellow running partners Phillip Horn, Bryce McGuire and Sean Kane, the startup is developing a portable SOS device for athletes that can alert contacts at the push of a button.
"This device is an insurance policy," said Randall, an Oakwood native and endurance runner who won Cincinnati's Flying Pig Marathon in 2017 and 2019. "It's one of those things that you never want to have to use, but it's there if you need it."
Here's how it works: The Zoza SOS Beacon transmits data using LTE-M — a low-power, wide-area network that works in places where cell service isn't usually available, like underground or in tunnels. The small, wearable device can be strapped to a shoe, affixed to a zipper or attached to a keyring.
It's a straightforward design, consisting of a rear clip, an internal chip and a front-facing button. When pressed, the button will alert up to 10 predefined contacts of an emergency situation, enabling athletes to call for help even in remote areas.
"Our main five customer segments would be runners, cyclists, hikers, skiers and climbers," Randall told me. "They may be in areas where they have their cell phone, but service isn't necessarily prevalent. Our device would be usable in those types of situations."
That's what separates Zoza from big-box names like Garmin and Apple, whose wearable devices offer lots of bells and whistles but have limited functionality when cell service is unavailable. The Zoza SOS Beacon won't be able to make video calls or stream music, but it will work almost anywhere — and at a sub-$100 upfront cost and a subscription of less than $10 per month.
"We're trying to simplify the device so that it has one main purpose," Randall said. "We're able to procure data at a much cheaper rate, and then push those savings onto the consumer to ultimately have a device that is affordable."
A proof-of-concept prototype has already been built, and Randall said his team is working on the printed circuit board assembly, or PCBA, for the final design.
"We're really close," he said. "Our big hurdle right now is taking the proof-of-concept design and consolidating it into a smaller form factor."
The goal is to have a controlled market release — around 50 to 100 devices — by May 2022. That means a small subset of the target audience will test the device, and Zoza will spend about three months correcting any bugs or glitches before releasing the product to the mass market.
SSI Electronics, a contract manufacturer near Grand Rapids, Michigan, will handle production early on. Zoza is also working with Vandalia-based 3D printer BasTech for its injection-molding needs.
"We're definitely trying to pull in some expertise from the region to help accelerate the process of ramping up to production," Randall said.
Zoza is aiming for 3% market capture of its target audience — about 4 million people — within 12 years of launch. As it grows, Zoza will expand its customer base into related segments. Randall said one potential market is hunters, who often work in areas with limited cell reception.
Long term, Randall said he wants to develop a full suite of safety solutions for endurance athletes and other vulnerable populations, like children and seniors.
Established in September 2020, Zoza is a southwest Ohio startup developing wearable devices for endurance athletes. The company is led by Jack Randall, an Oakwood native and two-time winner of the annual Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati.
