28 May Henley Business Angels members re-invest in KYMIRA, a smart garment company revolutionising recovery in athletes, and helped the business secure a half-a-million pound grant from the Innovate UK Investor Partnership Future Economy Programme
KYMIRA, a smart garment company developing specialist infrared technology to aid recovery in athletes, has again received investment from two Henley Business Angels members, contributing to a £1.1m funding round. The funding round was achieved through private investment and a £500k grant as part of Henley Business Angels’ Investor Partnership with Innovate UK.
For most athletes, both professional and enthusiast, the traditional, technology-centred innovations for their recovery are unable to be easily incorporated into their lives. These approaches to recovery disrupt routines, confine usage to fixed locations, and require substantial upfront investments. Solutions such as ice baths, cryo-chambers or even compression garments can be ineffectual and time-intensive, with positive effects lasting only in the short term. KYMIRA offers an effective, alternative solution.
KYMIRA has revolutionised recovery, embedding its bio-responsive technology into every fibre of its apparel. KYMIRA’s garments enable athletes to recover wherever they are, simply by wearing them; thus eliminating barriers to engagement and empowering athletes to take control of their recovery. With a range of clients from American Football Teams in the US to professional swimmers in the UK, KYMIRA is a trusted source for performance improvement for professional athletes across sports. This success was demonstrated through a 5-year longitudinal study with the Rugby Football Union in the UK using KYMIRA’s garments, which found an 80% reduction in muscular skeletal injuries, 33% improvement in mobility scores and a 25% reduction in perceived pain scores.
The cutting-edge Bio-Responsive infrared technology is embedded in the garment fibres and converts UV, visible light and body heat into targeted infrared wavelengths. The infrared penetrates 4cm into athlete’s muscles, unlocking a myriad of performance-enhancing benefits, and empowering athletes around the clock. Certified as medical devices, KYMIRA’s Bio-Responsive products are tailored to provide unrivalled user benefits, including enhancing athletic performance, managing chronic medical conditions, accelerating recovery, reducing soreness and reducing injury occurrence.
The existing business model operates on a recurring revenue basis, having built and secured strong, trusted relationships with elite sports teams, as well as with existing customers of KYMIRA’s range of garments. The grant from Innovate UK will be implemented for work on a groundbreaking project focused on revolutionising musculoskeletal care. KYMIRA’s innovative smart wearable for remote medical monitoring will utilise high-fidelity data collection to provide tailored preventive and early treatment solutions for conditions like osteoarthritis and knee pain. This project aims to shift from reactive to preventative care, enhancing patient outcomes and saving resources in the long run. KYMIRA will utilise the rest of the funding round to further expand into the US market and launch a new range of bio-tracking devices. Their progress in expanding within the US is continuing on an upward trajectory, and shortly after pitching to Henley Business Angels, KYMIRA was selected as one of 10 in the fourth cohort of Comcast NBC Universal’s SportTech Accelerator which kicked off in March this year.
Tim Brownstone, CEO and Founder of KYMIRA, was excited to continue the journey with Henley Business Angels, saying “HBA and IUK have been long-time supporters of KYMIRA and our mission to deliver innovative technologies to the market. Their continued support will ensure that the impact of our newest technologies will not just be limited to sportsmen and women, but will benefit the broader population through medical applications of our technology as well.”
Jurek Sikorski, HBA Founder and the network’s Entrepreneur Lead was delighted by the investment, saying “KYMIRA has come a long way since it was established in 2013 and today enjoys being among the leading sports technology companies in the world. Members of HBA are delighted to have participated in KYMIRA’s fund raise which will enable KYMIRA to develop new products and also strengthen its presence in the US.”
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