PIQ, a Swiss start-up, is taking a further step in imposing itself on the market of connected objects in the sports industry by partnering with French global tennis company Babolat. After PIQ raised in May this year 4.9€ million and introduced its multisports sensors in Golf with Mobitee, the start-up is now taking a further step by launching a light portable sensor and by providing a new dimension to the game of tennis. It offers tennis men and women of all levels a high-end wearable technology which has until now been reserved to top players. The product launching today consists of a high-tech wristband containing an advanced PIQ multisports sensor with real-time display and battery bank charger. One of the versions is specifically dedicated to tennis and merchandised as “Babolat Pop”, whereas another version is sold as “Babolat and PIQ”, used for different sports addressed by PIQ. Both products contain a small, ultra-lightweight, waterproof and flexible multi-sport motion sensor to be connected to a smart device via Bluetooth.
PIQ’s French CEO and Co-founder, Cédric Mangaud, claimed: “At PIQ, we are enthusiastic to partner up with such a fantastic international brand as Babolat, to launch our multisports sensor in tennis. This is a great opportunity for us to pool our complementary expertise. As a pioneer in sports connected objects and a specialist in tennis, Babolat has shared significant knowledge allowing us to build the most advanced wearable tennis offer”.
Indeed, Babolat has been the first company to introduce technology into tennis items. The French company developed over the last years a remarkable set of tennis rackets, the Babolat Play, which provides various statistics and data about players’ performances.
PIQ combines the latest sensor technology NFC, BLE and cutting edge micro processing technology which captures data instantly and informs players in real time on the display about performance measures such as velocity, height, airtime, G force, amplitude, trajectory and stroke speed. This innovation is of great importance, as in contrast to Babolat Play, it allows players to adapt their game and correct possible mistakes already during the training session. PIQ’s sensor enables players to compare their performances with others and even professionals, tracking every detail of their game and thus to enhance performance, hitting technique and match tactics. Designed to allow playing the game without having a smartphone in the pocket, the PIQ sensor delivers information on the wristband screen and stores data until the next connection with the mobile.
The collaboration between both companies is thus not only giving PIQ a big market entrance in promoting its high-tech sensors in the game of tennis but will also improve Babolat’s technology items, diversify its product range and therefore take its advantage of connected objects in sport a step further. Indeed, the high-tech market in tennis is about to become highly competitive as Sony is soon launching its smart tennis sensor compatible with a broad range of rackets and several brands. That being said, Babolat and PIQ hold nevertheless with their new, innovative and unique product serious advantages on the market in their hand.
Find out more on www.piq.com