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IPOS Reins Sensors has won the Dutch Sports Innovation Award 2017. The prize was awarded during the 14th National Sports Innovation Congress held in Eindhoven today. Menke Steenbergen, CEO and founder of IPOS technology, received the prize from Alderman Jakob Wedemeijer.

Steenbergen hopes that her innovation will “forever” change the way horse riding works. “IPOS is the first in the world to develop reins sensors and is a leader in technology for the equestrian business.” IPOS focuses on the interaction between riders and horses via rein pressure measurement “because here the most profit for horse and rider can be gained.”

IPOS is an alumnus of HighTechXL, the startup accelerator at the High Tech Campus. Read more about IPOS and Menke Steenbergen

This technology requires trainers to become specific in their way of working, Steenbergen says, which gives insight into practices that work well and which ones do not. “By increasing transparency with regard to training methods, we hope to increase the acceptance of equestrian sport to the general public.”

Four finalists

An independent jury made their choice for the four finalists from over 30 candidates. The jury praised the IPOS concept in its jury report:

“The product offers the rider a dashboard and hence new possibilities for communicating with the horse, supported by objective data, which helps the rider’s and horse’s well-being in a big sport. The idea is original, creative, but also realistic. This has been done through good cooperation with sports, knowledge partners and companies. Participation in the accelerator program at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven has turned the idea from a product to a business.”

Winning the Dutch Sports Innovation Award 2017 gives IPOS a prize worth €15,000, consisting of money, advisory hours, and media value.

The Eindhoven company Ato Gear with the product Arion, a system that focuses on coaching the technique of a runner, was one of the other finalists. DISQ, a mobile fitness product that allows you to do your power training with integrated power measurement, and Otis Insight with the ROW4 product, an innovative rowing sports coaching method with possibilities for application in many other sports, were the other two finalists.

Dutch Sports Innovation Award

The Dutch Sports Innovation Award (formerly National Sports Innovation Award) is
the incentive prize for an innovative and promising product or service that focuses on performance or recreational sports. These are products or services of which the market value and the impact on the business of sport are already clear.