A Milwaukee startup developing a wearable device that monitors an athlete's hydration levels is set to pitch this week in Atlanta as part of the NFL's startup showcase during Super Bowl week.
Nobo, founded in 2015, is creating a device called B60, which reports hydration levels to athletes and their trainers in real time. The device measures for both dehydration and over-hydration, synching with the B60 app to give athletes more data about their body as they perform.
Nobo's product is primarily designed for elite athletes, but the startup says the wearable device could also be used by doctors who want to measure the fluid levels of patients, safety workers such as firefighters and police officers, and recreational athletes who want to make sure they're hydrating correctly.
The startup is competing against four other tech companies in the NFL's Innovations to Advance Athlete Health and Safety Competition, which will take place this Saturday, the day before the big game. The winning company receives $50,000 and two tickets to the Super Bowl, and second place will receive $20,000 and two tickets to the game.
Other competing startups include SOLIUS, a Seattle startup that uses nano-spectrums of light to stimulate the production of critical hormones and peptides as a better way to reduce injuries; TackleBar Football, a Minnesota-based maker of a harnesses that teaches players proper tackling fundamentals; TendoNova, an Atlanta startup creating a hand-held device that aims to increase access to effective chronic tendon pain treatment; and TopSpin Technologies, a Detroit company that made a device that aims to strengthen a player's neck to help reduce concussion risk.
Nobo was founded by Russ Rymut, who previously made healthcare devices at companies like GE Healthcare and Honeywell. It took part in gener8tor's gBETA Milwaukee Summer program in 2016.
The NFL's Innovations to Advance Athlete Health and Safety Competition is designed to highlight innovative product that aim to improve player health and safety. The NFL Network will livestream Saturday's competition here.
