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Australian sports technology company - eo - has today launched its brand with two ground-breaking wearable devices in the fields of elite swimming performance and concussion assessment that have secured the endorsement of a number of sporting identities and high-profile sporting clubs and organisations.

The launch of the two wearable devices - eo SwimBETTER and eo NuroCHEK – have attracted widespread enthusiasm from former NRL chief medical officer Dr Paul Bloomfield, Olympic swimming gold medallist Kyle Chalmers, James Magnussen’s coach and Swimming Coach of the Year Brant Best, the NRL South Sydney Rabbitohs, superstar triathlete Vincent Luis, Melbourne City FC, and Swimming Australia.

Co-founded by Jaimie Fuller former SKINS boss and sport-ethics activist, Dean Hawkins, whose CV includes senior roles at adidas, SKINS, Alvarium and Mogo, and world leading, former NSWIS sports scientist Dr Kenneth Graham PhD; the trio bring over 70 combined years of business, brand and scientific expertise to their new venture.

eo (latin for ‘progress’) is applying new research discoveries and innovations to help athletes redefine their limits. With a multidisciplinary approach that is sport and technology agnostic, its offering is premium products for those who take their sport seriously: elite athletes, coaches, support staff and the ‘pro-sumer’ who wants to train like a pro.

eo SwimBETTER
Today, eo launch eo SwimBETTER: A world-first in wearable technology created to revolutionise competitive and professional swimming by enhancing the technique of athletes and providing precise data on every stroke. For the first time ever, we can defy evolution and unlock every drop of potential in record time.

The discreet eo SwimBETTER devices fit in the palm of the swimmers’ hands, tracking their stroke rate, consistency, stroke path, hand velocity, and applied forces in up to six directions. eo SwimBETTER then quantifies the data, allowing the coach or swimmer to immediately address technique changes to bring swim times down.

The ground-breaking device has Olympian Kyle Chalmers and two-time ITU World Champion Vincent Luis secured as early investors, plus attracting the backing of Olympic medal winning coach Brant Best. eo is also designated as Swimming Australia’s High Performance Technology Supplier.

Chalmers notes “I swim to win races, and break records. When I first tried eo SwimBETTER my coach and I were impressed with the data I could get on every one of my swims. Force production, consistency, efficiency, stroke rate, the path my hand takes in every stroke, and more. This is information I haven’t had access to before and it’s information that will guide my training and hopefully get me to gold again in Paris 2024.”

eo NuroCHEK
The second device to be launched, eo NuroCHEK, is a brain assessment headset, which will play a major role in the first line of defence against concussion. In contrast to other tools that rely on subjective analysis, eo NuroCHEK is a neurological biomarker that is completely objective, meaning the device cannot be gamed by a player. It identifies and assesses concussion symptoms in real-time, improving diagnostic decision making and ensuring the safety of a player and peace of mind to a team, a coach, a player and their family.

eo’s Chief Medical Consultant, Dr Paul Bloomfield brings his 25+ years in sports medicine to the company. The concussion protocol pioneer was critical in reducing the risk of head injuries in the NRL during his six years as their Chief Medical Officer, and his current role as the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles’ Club Doctor, where he previously held the position for 13 years. He is also a Fellow of the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP) and a long-standing member of the NSW State Medical council for Sports Medicine Australia.

Of eo NuroCHEK Dr Paul Bloomfield advises “there are studies out there across all codes, not just rugby league, that players aren’t always honest with the symptoms, particularly at the time of injury during the match.

“Particularly if they're ignored and players go back on the field, because second impacts can lead to a worse concussion or increase the risk of other injuries. That's where eo NuroCHEK can assist because it doesn't rely on players being honest.

“You can pass a HIA or a SCAT5 because it’s not completely diagnostic, and it does rely on players volunteering their symptoms. Any tool that gives you more info at the time of injury and during recovery will only make it safer for players at all levels of the game.”

Co-founder Jaimie Fuller adds “the timing of our launch is perfect from a market context: the global sports tech sector is growing at well over 20% and will exceed $40 billion by 2024. Into that fast-growing market we have a pipeline of five products which will be progressively launched. The third product in the pipeline, a sweat analysis patch we are developing with input from CSIRO, could be the most exciting, and biggest, opportunity of the lot.

Dean Hawkins commented “Jaimie and I have known each other for over 15 years, we both absolutely believe in the power of sport to change the world for good, and eo is the next step in that journey.

“Jaimie is an absolute visionary when it comes to the power of sport, and the way sports should advance [society], as well as improve individual lives. We’ve been discussing the eo plan for almost three years, although it took 18 months for me to be convinced that the strength of the product pipeline really aligned with the brand and Jaimie’s vision – but when it did, it became absolutely compelling. eo is now the perfect opportunity for us to combine our skills, with the extraordinary talents of Kenneth, to build a unique business – the most exciting opportunity of my career.”

Performance Coach of the Australian Men’s Basketball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, Nik Popovic shared “the team at eo are breathing progress with everything that they are conceptualising and creating in the world of sports science.”

Further information on the eo brand at https://www.eolab.com/

Images from top: eo SwimBETTER; (from left) Jaimie Fuller eo Chairman, Dean Hawkins Chief Executive and Dr Kenneth Graham PhD Principal Scientist; eo NuroCHEK

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