Real-time boxing tracker, CORNER, which has been developed at The Landing, MediaCityUK, has already been snapped up by boxing pros and coaches, including the GB Olympic boxing team.
The rapid growth and success of the smart, wearable boxing technology has led co-founders, Charles Burr and Jerry Krylov, to move on from the start-up and incubator facilities provided at The Landing and into their own HQ in the centre of Manchester.
The tracker has been developed to help boxers focus their training and hit their goals faster and its proving to be a fantastic success. British World Heavyweight Champion, Anthony Joshua; Manchester-born boxing coach, Joe Gallagher; and super-middleweight champion, Callum Smith have all been involved in testing the tracker.
Charles and Jerry met just three years ago through mutual friends. Charles, from Manchester, was studying at Imperial College London and was using similar technology to track crocodile rehabilitation process but was keen to adapt it for his big passion, boxing. Jerry, also a keen sportsman, was a student of interior architecture and product design at Glasgow School of Art and was looking for opportunities to design and launch a brand-new product from scratch.
After turning down a job opportunity to work for one of the top 50 architecture firms in the world, Jerry followed Charles to Manchester and they set to work developing the boxing tracker. They wanted to develop the product to track boxing performance in real-time using wearable sensors so that speed, power, type of punch and work rate could be measured and used to improve performance.
After a few weeks working from their homes, they needed somewhere they could work together in an environment full of like-minded tech developers where they could access state of the art user testing facilities.
As a specialist incubator for rapid tech start-ups, The Landing, based at MediaCityUK, provided the perfect location for Jerry and Charles to start their new venture, test their prototypes and access the investment and support they needed to grow quickly.
Whilst at The Landing, Jerry and Charles have also had the opportunity to take part in a variety of tech accelerators and, in 2016, they were successful in securing a place at the World’s first and largest hardware accelerator in San Francisco. They have also successfully trialled their product on live TV in Scandinavia and France.
Jerry Krylov, co-founder of Corner said: “I remember day one at The Landing. For the first time we had two desks together and we could really set to work developing the product. It was a strange feeling but it was the best move we made. The Landing provided us with the co-working space we needed but it was so much more than that.
“The team at The Landing believed in us and were always looking out for us. They really understood what we were trying to achieve. They provided the user testing labs as well as the connections, investment and training opportunities. It’s been a phenomenal journey and we’re so excited to be ready to move on to our very own HQ.
“We have achieved so much in the last three years and we couldn’t have done it without The Landing. The future is really exciting. We also have lots of plans for developing the product further and for building our new HQ, which will incorporate a gym and a professional boxing ring where we can test the product as we develop it. We’ll also have a creative co-working space and photographic studio for other creative start-ups to use.”
Paul Billington, commercial director at The Landing, said: “Through sheer hard work and a passion for their product, Jerry and Charles have created something that is state-of-the-art and is already having a massive impact in both professional and amateur boxing.
“At The Landing, we are really proud to support rapid start-ups in the tech sector and Corner is a real success story as they are now ready to move on and launch their very own HQ and that’s exactly what we want for all our tenants.
“We support our start-ups from day one, through product development and user testing but we also help them by removing barriers and driving their growth through access to business development opportunities as well as recruitment and investment. During their time at The Landing, Jerry and Charles have completed our incubator course and have taken advantaged of our user testing labs, which are funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in order to drive the growth of their business.
“We have really enjoyed watching Corner develop over the last few years and we’re looking forward to seeing Charles and Jerry’s success as they grow the product from their very own HQ in Manchester.”
