Jacob McCarthy

CrossFit enthusiast Jacob McCarthy came up with the idea for Shield Performance Products based on his own personal experiences.

He realised that there still wasn’t an effective way to prevent common exercise-induced injuries – existing wearable technology is often temperamental and personal trainers are expensive. Jacob’s solution was to create a range of motion-tracking sports clothing, which would use machine learning to perfect the wearer’s exercise technique.

Combining his engineering skills with his passion for fitness, Jacob developed his idea into a prototype and entered his university’s business accelerator. He came away with £2,000 in grants and plenty of interest from fellow gym goers, which he says gave him the confidence to pursue his idea.

“I’m hugely grateful to be part of the next Young Innovators cohort. It feels like a large weight has been lifted off my shoulders – not having to worry about financing and accessing business support during the crucial product development stages of my business,” he says.

“I also feel excited to meet the other Award winners, find out what their businesses do and hopefully build a strong network of helpful and enthusiastic entrepreneurs.”