Uplift - Sukemasa Kabayama

Revolutionizing Movement Analysis for a Healthier World

VCs and Family offices often find themselves at the crossroads of innovation, constantly seeking the next big thing that not only has the potential to scale but also delivers a net positive impact on society. In a recent conversation with Masa, the co-founder of Uplift, we gained insights into his journey, motivations, and the market gap he aimed to fill when he embarked on this exciting venture.

Below are some highlights of our 1 on 1 interview with Masa. 

Can you talk a little bit about your journey with Uplift so far and what motivated you to start this company? What was the gap in the market that you aimed to address when you first started the company?

I’ve always asked myself how do you find emerging tech that could scale but also have a net positive effect for society? That's something that's very important to me. So what we're doing at Uplift, I think especially resonates towards that goal where the “AHA” moment came, where back in the day, I used to do a lot of fitness. So I kept thinking, ‘what is it about my movement patterns that are causing injuries which is preventing me to optimize my performance?’

This moment of introspection led him to recognize that the problem extended far beyond himself and resonated with everyone from professional athletes to everyday fitness enthusiasts.  

The gap in the market right now is that it's very difficult to understand how you're moving and if you're moving well, whether that's for performance, sports, fitness, or wellness. Existing solutions tend to be very cumbersome, like wearables or very expensive camera systems.

What were your first orders of business in terms of operations and perhaps strategy after you decided that you wanted to start Uplift? Can you also talk a little bit about how you went about funding and what advice you would have for other startups seeking investments?

His first mission was to find the right co-founders. “Yeah, so I was very fortunate to be able to found Uplift with my two co-founders. I handle more on the business side - the sales, the business development, fundraising. And then my two co-founders, they definitely have the technology chomps, if you will. One's a computer vision guru, the other is a deep learning AI expert” 

He stated that having a “courage of convictions” and understanding the founders’ complementary skill sets was the first step in starting Uplift. Then they focused on the three T’s: Team, Tech and Traction. “Another advice I’d give is to have a compelling, very strong story, some of the obvious stuff, and make sure that you're hiring the best. Don't compromise on any people, whether they're co-founders or your teammates”

The biggest issue or problem we see that most startups face is scalability challenges. Whether that's on the resource side on issues like where to focus your money, time, people or on the business model side. What obstacles did you encounter? 

For startups, scaling can be a formidable task, often involving resource allocation, prioritization, and strategic decision-making. When it came to scalability Masa discussed Uplift's primary product, Uplift Capture. “We actually went to market with two GoPros. So they weren't like, what do you call it, like connected devices”

“During that time, every time we onboarded a customer, we had to fly even for demos, we had to fly all over the US. Then when COVID hit, right, it's like everything came to a standstill.” He continued, “We knew using GoPros and SD cards and manual clipping and uploading wasn't ideally streamlined. So we transitioned to iOS and iPhones to address our scalability problem”.  This strategic pivot allowed Uplift to sell, onboard and manage clients online.

“Now when we signed up clients, we did it all through Zoom because it was easy enough for them and the hurdle was low enough that they could get started on their own. And in fact, today (for) a lot of our customers, we do a majority of the onboarding on zoom, just an hour session and they can get started.”

As CEO, what strategies and methods did you employ to keep your team members motivated? Especially during COVID?

Oh man, during COVID, honestly, we had about two to three months left, and it was one of those survival moments of the company. I think most importantly, we looked at resources. Everybody took a massive pay cut in order for us to stretch our runway. And then once we got funded, we readjusted everything back, but those days were pretty hard. I think the COVID crisis helped coalesce the team together.”

Masa emphasizes the importance of setting the right cultural tone within the company. He believes it's not just about the CEO taking charge but creating a culture that values transparency, integrity, and a shared drive for success. He stated ”The CEO has to, of course, have a plan, a strong vision, leadership to show where that North Star is and where everybody's rowing”. 

Masa underscores the importance of trust within the team. When asked on the challenges of motivating the team during difficult times like COVID, he stated, "It's a roller coaster ride sometimes emotionally and even mental health wise, you name it, cerebrally. But it helps people to get through it when they know they can trust their fellow teammates"

Can you share to our readers some of the obstacles and failures that you must have had?  Maybe you could share an instance where something that you did as a CEO had unexpected negative consequences and what you kind of did to come back from that.

Originally when we got started, we were actually targeting the fitness industry. I was pretty fortunate to meet and interview or try to sell to some of the top people in the fitness industry.” But when he tested the market with his product he saw a disconnect. “I thought it would be the coolest thing as a gym member to have this kind of service to automatically track your sets and reps and keep a record of how you are improving over time. But I noticed that gyms tend to survive on a pretty thin margin. So there's the propensity to pay, like how much can they really pay? But the bigger (problem) I think was, that it wasn't a top pain point for them.” 

Although he found the disconnect between his product and the target market, Uplift didn’t shift targets quickly. “We did kind of, if you will, spin our wheels a little bit, like six months to a year originally trying to tackle that problem until we shifted our focus, which was a huge looking back, kind of a newbie mistake” 

How much customer feedback are you guys getting and how engaged are you with your clients? Is there a specific instance where you acted upon customer feedback and you implemented it into the product?

Masa described one instance where customer feedback led to a significant product enhancement which involved the physical constraints of the spaces where Uplift's technology was deployed. 

“Some of the MLB teams have very, I would say generous size batting cages. So it's very easy to place the two iPhones or iPads on two tripods according to the dimensions or the specs that we asked them to. But some of the other, let's say, minor league or affiliate batting cages and locations are much tighter. They just don't have the space to put them into our recommended setup.” 

This led them to launch a new feature called manual distance entry. “Manual distance entry, allows you to actually change the distance of the cameras. So if you're in a tight space, you can move them closer without losing accuracy” 

Uplift's journey underscores the importance of a customer-centric approach to innovation. By actively engaging with clients, listening to their needs, and swiftly responding with tailored solutions, Uplift has cultivated a strong and dynamic relationship with its user base.

You mentioned that you want to have a global impact. Is there a method or a thought process in terms of how you're approaching your expansion into international markets and how you think that will change the sports & movement industry?

“So definitely, again, have global international expansion, the drive to do that. But at the same time, you need to be really disciplined not to do it too early or too quickly. Because as a seed stage startup, you only have so much resources and you can't boil the ocean.” He reiterated the importance of understanding the customer and the market. 

“If you do enter a market, you have to really understand the idiosyncrasies of each market. I mean, I can speak about Japan because I had a country manager role there (editor’s note: Masa was previously the President of Tesla Japan) , right. It's a completely different market, different buying mentality. It's relationship driven. You've got to get the team on the ground right as much as the product right and certainly localize.”

As our conversation with Masa draws to a close, we gain deeper insights into the profound impact he envisions Uplift making in the sports industry.

What legacy do you hope Uplift will leave in the sports industry? And how will you measure the company's impact beyond financial success? 

“I think we would have done our duty if we put a serious dent in the movement universe. And when I say movement, it's not just movement performance for athletic performance, but it's also movement health.”

In essence, Uplift envisions becoming a "movement health company," a transformative force in ensuring people's ability to move well, stay active, and lead healthier lives. This vision extends not only to professional athletes but also to everyday individuals, elderly care, and the broader community. “I view Uplift as really being ultimately a movement health company, and we really want to help support the world's movement so people can be more healthy and enjoy the sports that they do with being injury free as possible.”

Looking back, if there was one piece of advice that you would give to your younger self when you were just starting out, what would it be? 

"Don't be afraid to be bold and go after the bigger opportunity. Be careful not to be too swayed by what investors want. Early on, you might hear investor feedback and think you need to adjust your vision. But it should be the other way around. Stick to your passionate vision, and if investors share your passion, collaborate with them."

Masa's words are a powerful reminder of the importance of staying true to one's vision and not succumbing to external pressures, even from investors. The importance of what he calls “The courage of your conviction” is something he would remind his younger self. 

"It might take longer, but there are people out there who will believe in improving the world through your startup. Just stick to your guns."

Masa's advice highlights the importance of staying true to your vision and having faith in your team, an essential lesson for any entrepreneur.