BackAlert

I got hit by a bus. I had a lot of back pain. Like millions of others, I went to yoga, massages, the chiropractor, and the physical therapist. Managing back pain is a pain in the ass.

Our vision is to become the primary way people manage their pain from muscle strain and aches. We do this with an easier-to-use product that costs 1/10th as much as competing systems. Our technology has been used by leading research centers at MIT, NYU, and Virginia Tech elite athletes at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, US Olympic team, and US Air Force.  

Back pain is difficult to reduce.

Americans don’t know how to reduce their back pain and they hate going to the doctor. We realized that people don't like to fight traffic and fitting within the clinic's schedule. Yet, Americans spend $50 billion annually to relieve their pain.  It's no wonder why only 35% of people stick to their care plan.

We bring therapeutic exercises to your home and it's actually fun.

BackAlert makes getting back pain relief convenient, fun, and inexpensive by developing good posture and exercising key areas of the body.

BackAlert ships physical therapy exercise equipment with a library of engaging therapeutic exercise video classes designed by world-class physical therapists.

The cornerstone of BackAlert is a sensor that connects to an app and can automatically track exercise movement and vibrates when they slouch to fix spinal alignment. They use movement data to get the most therapeutic exercise session.

The trainer gives exact instructions on what kind of exercises they should be doing and how exactly they should be doing them - how many reps, how fast you're doing it, and they challenge you to hit your goals. As the workout ramps up and the music starts pumping, the user is going to stretch and melt away all their muscle tension. They’re going to get insanely relaxing deep tissue massages.

BackAlert Launched - Traction: Signed contracts.

We launched 3 months ago, we have received $160,000+ in estimated revenue in signed contracts and we’re growing 25% month over month.

We use Artificial Intelligence to create a magical experience -helping people feel better by collecting data and providing health insights.

We use a technique of artificial intelligence known as "Machine Learning". This technology enables us to automatically categorize, identify, and calculate exercise statistics about the user - without the user having to do anything. For instance, machine learning analyzes the user's form and technique and the effort they are exerting in real-time.

As the user performs more workouts and as they wear BackAlert to correct posture over time, we can provide insights and guidance to help the user feel better. The maturity of our technology separates us from our competitors.

Revolutionary Technology: As accurate as $44,000+ technology.

BackAlert is based on our patented technology called Enflux. Enflux is the motion capture system we have been developing since 2015. Enflux is a shirt and pants with sensors embedded directly into the fabric. BackAlert uses the same exact sensors and software found within Enflux. It's that good.

We aim to use the patented technology to create other products for many parts of the part, such as the knee, shoulder, wrist, and more.

What experts are saying about BackAlert: They love it.

Mass production and hardware production and engineering is COMPLETE! Yayy!

We have invested over a million dollars in our hardware production and tooling. Majority of hardware startups fail because they cannot get past this point. We manufacture in Shenzen, China, and our manufacturing process is complete with close to 99% successful yield.

This is a picture of our progression to make the circuit board smaller. The picture below is the progression of the design and size changes of the sensor.

How we make money: We sell BackAlert online and enable people to buy BackAlert in clinics through our very own Redbox-style vending machines. 

We charge up to $40 per month for the premium BackAlert package (see investor Q&A for complete price breakdown). We realized that 29 million Americans going to clinics annually are uniquely qualified leads. We installed our own Redbox-style kiosk into clinics and it enables patients to purchase or rent. The kiosk occupies space and draws customer attention leading to a sustainable and scalable customer acquisition model that costs approximately $350 to manufacture the kiosk and sensors. After that, the investment pays off as the equipment pays for itself.

Total Addressable Market: $50 billion in back pain treatment annually.

Customer spending habits: It's a lot. A real lot.

• $90 per month on yoga. 54% participate to release muscle tension. The industry grew 9% annually from 2014 to 2019.
  
• $71 per hour average for massage. 29% participate to relieve muscle pain. The industry grew 7% annually from 2013 to 2018. 
  

• $10-75 per session (with coverage) with Physical Therapy. 63.4% participate in musculoskeletal conditions. The industry grew 3% annually from 2014 to 2019. 
  
• $34-106 per session (with coverage) for Chiropractic services. 60% participate in back pain relief. The industry grew 1.9% annually from 2014 to 2019.  

Market Comparisons: Peloton's IPO.

• Peloton has a valuation of $4 billion, expected revenue of $700M in 2019, and brings spin classes to the user's home.
• RespondWell, physical therapy brought to the home, was acquired for an undisclosed amount by Zimmer Biomet, a $27B public company and a leader in musculoskeletal healthcare.

Strong Defenses: Army of BackAlert kiosks within clinics.

We turn clinics into BackAlert retail spaces by putting our kiosks into their facility. There are 93,300 clinics in the United States.

Clinics love us because it keeps their patients coming back and keeps patients more engaged. This means it brings them more patient visits and patient visits equals more revenue. We have tight-knit relationships with the owners where it is unlikely that they install a competitor kiosk in their clinic as they are trained to use BackAlert and it would confuse their patients.

Clinics are just the start. We can install our kiosks into massage parlors, yoga studios, pilates studios, and much more.

The team:
Our team is lead by Doug Hoang (left), a mechanical engineer and former head of Safety for Harley Davidson and a Chief Engineer for an engine design startup. His products have generated $50M+ in revenue.

Joshua McCoy (right), a serial entrepreneur and has been programming since the age of 13.

Doug invested $108,000+ into this company because it is his mission to help people get access to more fun and affordable wellness solutions. 

Who has invested in us and why they are so great:

We have some very big and noteworthy investment groups invest in our company. Some of their notable investments include Dropbox, AirBnb, and so many more. There is a common thread.

What are the next milestones and use of funds?

We are still refining and making product improvements to the software, the functionality, and it's the interface.

We aim to allocate the funds (if we are able to raise a total of $300,000 some of which is from Wefunder, but others capital sources outside of Wefunder): ​25%, 25%, 42%, 8%, 5% on purchasing hardware inventory, payroll, marketing, general office expenses, and Wefunder fee, respectively.​

Our next milestone is $500k in annual revenue and 240 clinics signed up.

This opportunity won't last: This is the very beginning of our company and we have great traction and solving a huge problem that nearly everyone has. We bring the expertise of building and shipping a great product and we have the connections with the finances to go to the next level. We are bringing a rare opportunity to invest in what could be a great, impactful company.

With the limited resources and grit, we already have launched a product that people want and are developing the infrastructure needed. Investors are taking notice. We are backed by Y Combinator. So join us. We got your back.