Darefore, a Paphos-based startup founded by brothers Marios and Panayiotis Kyriakou, has been incorporated into the KV Fund portfolio.  According to an official announcement released this week, the company’s addition to the KV Fund portfolio follows a strategic investment aimed at accelerating the company’s growth.  Darefore has carved out a niche with its biometrics system that merges wearable technology and smart data-driven methodologies.  The company is focused primarily on sports performance enhancement and injury prevention.   The roots of Darefore stretch back to a discernible void in the cycling scene, a predicament Marios and Panayiotis, both ardent triathletes, aimed to rectify.  They identified a glaring absence of on-the-go solutions to refine cycling positions both indoors and outdoors.   Harnessing their extensive IT expertise and relentless research, they conceived the Smart Cyclo project.  After enduring months of meticulous testing and scholarly research, they unveiled an innovative solution encompassing state-of-the-art wireless position sensors, a mobile app, and an online training platform—a breakthrough providing real-time indoor and outdoor data to refine and monitor cycling posture. Darefore’s first commercially ready product zeroes in on optimising spine alignment, crucial for both enhancing performance and preventing injuries among cyclists.  Their proprietary algorithms and methodology skillfully transform real-time data into vital visual displays and actionable alerts, which are crucial during practice sessions or competitions.   Moreover, Darefore’s data on back positioning can be seamlessly integrated and displayed in real-time on prevalent devices already favoured by athletes, such as Garmin devices and smartphones.  This feature extends beyond cycling; in a myriad of sports, proper posture and spine alignment are essential not only for peak performance but also for injury prevention, potentially safeguarding other critical areas such as the knees, shoulders, and neck. Andreas Panayi, Co-founder and Partner at Kinisis Ventures, expressed his enthusiasm by saying that “Darefore is a great addition to our portfolio.”   “It has all the ingredients we know and love to work with,” he stated, mentioning software, sensors, data, and algorithms, for commercial applications.  He said that these “add measurable value, can scale and are relevant to multiple addressable markets for users that invest in and value technology”.  “We are super excited and already preparing to support Darefore’s marketing and sales efforts with specific targeted US activities using Amazon and other marketplaces,” he added.  “But honestly, the most important reasons our team is excited about this new addition are Marios and Panayiotis. They are a perfect fit with the rest of our portfolio founders and our KV culture. The chemistry and willingness to work together was the initial big draw, which is a pivotal factor for all our investment decisions”, Panayi stated.   Beyond the live data, Darefore’s online platform proves indispensable for long-term performance benchmarking, tracking goals, and planning.  It also facilitates the integration of other significant biometric data from devices commonly used by athletes, tailored specifically for coaches managing team performance. With the Darefore system now available for cyclists and plans underway to develop custom systems for other sports like skiing, running, rowing, and swimming, the brand is ready for expansion.    Marios Kyriakou, Darefore co-founder and CEO, said the company’s goal at the moment is to expand its brand reach and sales traction “within the sizable and important global cyclist market”.  He added that “our product is already used and endorsed by international and local professionals and avid cyclists”.  Kyriakou also said that “this initial investment from KV Fund will fuel the testing, optimizing, and expansion of our marketing and sales channels across Europe”.  “We have also started our planning for strategically exploring the vast e-commerce market in the US,” he mentioned.   (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Cyprus Mail