Box Altitude owner praises Australian Sports Technologies Network’s accelerator program

June 13, 2024

Former professional cyclist Rico Rogers, the Director of Box Altitude, has explained how the company’s technology improves performance, health and wellbeing.

In an interview with the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN), Rogers has also shared how participating in the ASTN Accelerator program in 2022, as well as the ASTN trade mission to Europe in 2023, has helped to open many doors for the company.

During a successful career spanning over a decade as a professional cyclist, Rogers discovered the incredible benefits of high-altitude training, which is how Box Altitude was born and, five years on, he and the Box Altitude team, including engineer Callum Taylor are pioneering state-of-the-art altitude sleep and training solutions.

After his retirement from professional cycling, Rogers set out in 2019 to design and deliver a range of altitude systems that would deliver the benefits of altitude training to the masses to empower individuals to optimise their performance, health, and overall well-being.

He recalled “I began delving into research around the impact of altitude on sleep quality and overall sleep health. This led me to connect these insights, bridging the realms of altitude training and sleep optimisation.

Primary use cases for athletes include sleeping at altitude to maximise aerobic capacity and recovery time before a major event or while recovering from injury, participating in repeat sprint training at altitude during preseason to be more explosive when sprinting in game, and training at altitude to manage in-season injuries by providing internal load while minimising mechanical load.

He noted "Box Altitude presents a tremendous opportunity for individuals preparing for triathlons, marathons, or extensive bike races that want to maximise their performance. Additionally, sprint training with our systems also extends its benefits across various sports, making Box accessible to athletes of all levels, including weekend enthusiasts.”
Adoption to altitude and outcomes graph

Historically, the benefits of altitude were restricted to those with access to natural altitude; however, with the introduction of Box Altitude, this ground-breaking technology has become efficient and affordable, making altitude training accessible to a wider range of individuals. It’s an opportunity for everyone, not just professional athletes, to enhance their overall health and well-being.

Sleep Cloud, Training Cloud, Altitude Bedroom and Altitude Gym
Box Altitude offers four innovative products: Sleep Cloud, Training Cloud, the Altitude Bedroom and Altitude Gym, each designed to enhance overall performance, health, strength, and conditioning.

The Sleep Cloud resembles a pop-up four poster bed tent, which is connected to a machine that simulates a high-altitude environment by filling the space with air with lower oxygen concentration and higher nitrogen concentration. It does so by drawing in normal air through a filter, reducing the concentration of the oxygen in the air then pushing the lower oxygen concentration air into the space. The proprietary oxygen sensor ensures precise oxygen regulation within the space with built-in redundancy. The system is all controlled through the Box Altitude App where users set desired altitudes and view their progression through health metric leading to impactful results.

The Training Cloud system creates a customised altitude training environment by setting up a stationary bike or treadmill within a purpose-built area, resembling a tent-like enclosure. The system operates like the Sleep Cloud and allows athletes to train at altitude without having to go to the mountains.

The Altitude Bedroom is designed to retrofit bedrooms with customised altitude systems. From a lifestyle point of view it is the ultimate way to get fitter or to lose weight without leaving your bed.

The Altitude Gym similarly is designed to retrofit gym spaces to convert them to altitude training environments. They are used by world class athletes in targeted sessions to achieve results they could not achieve with sea-level training alone. This includes repeat sprint training and training under reduced mechanical load while maintaining internal load. They are also used by everyday people looking to lose weight, improve heart health and improve aerobic fitness.

ASTN mentorship empowers sales mindset for Box Altitude
Box Altitude was a participant in ASTN’s trade delegation to Europe between in June 2023. With support from Federal and State Governments, the trade delegation gave several sports tech startups and scaleups a unique opportunity to make global connections by providing genuine networking opportunities with local agencies.

Commenting on this, Taylor recalled “we were introduced to many important potential partners at the European Trade Mission. We considered it to be a great success and we cannot thank ASTN enough for the networking opportunities and support throughout the program to maximise its benefits.”

Rogers also noted “in the first few years, Box Altitude faced some challenges in sales and marketing strategies. However, with ASTN’s guidance, we’ve been able to successfully embrace a sales-oriented approach which has helped us to secure new clients and increase revenue.

“We are adopting a new subscription model - typically $250 per month over three years - which will significantly improve the profitability of the units. This also helped us to simplify our sales cycle.”

Looking forward, Rogers is enthusiastic about the Olympics, telling ASTN that world records have already been broken by athletes using the systems to sleep at altitude this trend is expected to continue in Paris.

Rogers advised "I believe we have a significant opportunity to continue to play a pivotal role in setting Olympic records. Pursuing Olympic golds and world records is incredibly exciting.

“As we continue to refine our business model and expand our service offering, we’re thrilled to see the continued momentum in the Australian, US and European markets. With anticipation for future growth, we eagerly welcome future opportunities that await us.”

The ASTN Business of Sport Sportstech Pre-Accelerator Program is delivered in partnership with Global Sports Innovation Center (GSIC) powered by Microsoft.

Click here for details.

Click here to listen to Box Altitude’s interview on ASTN’s podcast ‘Sports Cutting Edge’.

Click here for more information on Box Altitude via the company’s entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

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