Santara Technology (Santara Tech) is billed as the first of its kind… ‘an incubator providing unprecedented access and insight from the worlds’ top endurance athletes, coaches, and sports scientists, allowing commercial partners to develop unique products and market opportunities.’
Santara Tech has been founded by Olympic, IRONMAN and World Triathlon World Champion, Kristian Blummenfelt; as well as double IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, Gustav Iden; leading endurance coach and sport scientist, Olav Aleksander Bu; and Adam Acworth, long-time manager of Blummenfelt and Iden.
Under the wings of coach Olav Aleksander Bu, Norwegian triathletes Blummenfelt and Iden have gone from relative unknowns to holding multiple world titles, iron distance course records and most recently, Kristian Blummenfelt becoming the first athlete to complete an iron distance triathlon in under seven hours with a time of 06:44:25.
In a New York Times article entitled ‘Why Do They Swim-Bike-Run So Fast? Data.’, it was reported that… ‘the most advanced science in the triathlon world can be found in Norway, where athletes embrace the data found in heat sensors, oxygen measuring masks.’
An ongoing search for innovative technologies is being harnessed at Santara Tech. This aims to provide partners such as Moxy, VO2 Master, FORM, Maurten, Body Rocket, and greenTEG (CORE), among others, with… ‘access and insight to power innovation, develop unique and superior products, and to drive market opportunities.’
Alongside product testing and development, Santara Tech supports its partners in the management and delivery of content and activation programmes.
Commenting on the offering Adam Acworth said “Santara Tech not only provides its partners with unprecedented access and data driven insight to drive product performance, it also advises and supports its partner across a range of management and marketing areas to ensure brand awareness, product credibility and customer engagement.
“Santara Tech truly is a unique company, offering unique services with a unique and skilled team behind it.”
Commenting on Santara Tech’s in-field and laboratory testing Olav Aleksander Bu said “For sport brands, coaches and athletes, the challenge to stay innovative and ahead of the game is a constant one.
“By using gold standard methods and equipment to test on the world’s best athletes in real training and competitive environments, Santara Tech has developed the means of mining crucial information in environments that really matter.
“For our partners, Santara Tech offers rapid testing and prototyping, immediate feedback, quick changes to protocols, effective optimisation of products and a clear strategy around how to use a product to develop performance.”
Kristian Blummenfelt said “For Gustav [Iden] and I, we benefit from the technical advancements Santara Tech is supporting through more precise performance metrics and a better understanding of how we can optimize our performances and win on race day.
“We also want to drive innovation and understanding more widely to continue the advancement and growth we are seeing in our sport.”
Adding to this, Gustav Iden said “Santara Tech is an opportunity for myself and Kristian to use our unique experiences, skills and network to create a path into business that has the potential to outlast our competitive years in triathlon, while leaving a lasting and positive impact on the growth and development in triathlon and across the board in endurance sport.”
