.svg)
After the successful closing of its latest funding round, Bentonville-based sportstech company, Hightag, has begun expanding to new peaks. The company recently partnered with renowned action sport camps, Windells, High Cascade, and Milepost35, based in Mount Hood, Oregon, to begin offering its video capture and delivery service to young skiers and snowboarders. This expansion marks the start of Hightag’s foray into the world of winter sports—an important milestone for the company.
Hightag is creating a network of smart cameras, which it installs throughout partnered action sport facilities. These cameras automatically record video clips of athletes riding by, and then instantly deliver those clips to the appropriate user’s account in the Hightag mobile app.
“Most athletes never get to actually see themselves in action,” says Alex de la Fuente, the company’s chief executive. “We’re building a whole new way for athletes to relive their experiences, learn and progress, and share their best moments.”
The winter sport expansion is no small feat, as it posed new technical and practical challenges for the startup. The more extreme environments and less predictable athlete movement patterns demanded a more adaptable camera device and trigger mechanism. “We had to completely rethink and rebuild our core technology,” says de la Fuente. “[As opposed to the old RFID-based system], the new GPS-based system is simpler, safer, more reliable, and more maintainable. And, athletes now need only their phone to use Hightag.”
These developments are fueled by the startup’s oversubscribed “pre-seed” funding round, which closed this past spring. REI Co-op participated in the round, marking the retailer's first investment in an Arkansas-based startup. “We’re energized by Hightag’s innovative approach to action media," says Elizabeth Reyes, senior investment associate at REI. “They’re redefining connection and storytelling in outdoor sports.” The round also featured investment from Arkansas-based venture capital firms, including the Venture Center Arkansas Fund. “We believe Hightag's innovative action sports media platform perfectly aligns with our vision for fostering groundbreaking Arkansas businesses,” says Chad Brown, managing partner and co-founder of the firm.
With more expansion and development planned, Hightag has announced the launch of its campaign on Republic, an equity crowdfunding platform that allows retail investors to purchase securities in vetted private companies. “We want to build Hightag in partnership with people who love these sports just as much as we do,” says de la Fuente. “I don’t think it’s possible to make something like this for athletes unless it’s also made by athletes.”
