Athletica uses sports science to help coaches and athletes optimize training. The app takes data from a fitness tracking device to map out a truly personalized training plan. The plan dynamically adjusts when life gets in the way of scheduled workouts so an athlete can still hit their fitness or race goals.
Tell us about yourself?
My background is in building and operating businesses across a broad range of sectors and geographies – media, fintech, manufacturing, B2B, and B2C, and working in the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe. I took on the role of CEO at Athletica because of my interest in growing consumer and B2B subscriber businesses along with building commercial partnerships. In addition to being a passionate amateur triathlete, I really love the data, be it my own training data on Athletica or the company performance data.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
When things look bleak, like the worst times of COVID-19, have faith that human nature and ingenuity will find a solution. Try to be part of the solution.
What problem does your business solve?

Fitness tracking apps and wearables provide data without science-based insight: measurement and analysis without prescription. Athletes and coaches aren’t sports scientists, and interpreting and making the data actionable is difficult. Athletica is a sports scientist and coach in your pocket.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
The founder of Athletica, Paul Laursen, is a scientist, professor, and coach and wrote the book (literally) on the application of HIIT science across multiple sports. He wanted to make this knowledge available to coaches and athletes through an easy-to-use app. Coaches can use the app to do the grunt work of designing custom plans for their athletes, freeing them up to focus on motivation, nutrition, psychology, strategy, and other human elements of coaching. Athletes who do not have a coach get the best science-based training and are given a clear workout plan every day.
What is your magic sauce?
The fitness industry broadly relies on reusing generic internet training plans for athletes. Athletica takes a fist-principals science approach to creating custom workout prescriptions and dynamically adjusting them for each different athlete.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?

Athletica is currently providing enormous value to endurance athletes who are trying to optimize their training. We want to make Athletica’s technology more approachable to athletes of all abilities and fitness across a broader range of sports.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
Athletica has been primarily bootstrapped since its launch in 2021. Now that we have happy users and a well-defined strategy to grow, we are looking to raise funds, but with the current economic cycle, we are finding it challenging to find investment.
How can people get involved?
Endurance athletes who are interested in trying out Athletica can get a free trial at www.athletica.ai. Investors interested in learning more can contact me at mark@athletica.ai.