Medalist Inc. offers an affordable, easy to understand and more readily available alternative to golf swing instruction. This leading edge solution is built on technology that currently is not utilized within the golf instruction market and will provide golfers of all abilities with meaningful feedback and instruction on how to improve their game.
Problem Many individuals who partake in the game of golf desire that their golf swing produces consistent and predictable ball contact, ball flight, and shot accuracy. To learn swing mechanics that produce these results, golfers commonly pursue lessons with an instructor and/or attempt trial and error on a driving range to refine their swing. Unfortunately, the expense of golf lessons, in addition to the inconvenience of scheduling, make lessons impractical for many individuals. Instructors can also vary in their ability to analyze a swing and teach technique, creating mixed results for students. Similarly, the success an individual realizes when self-training their golf swing through trial and error is highly dependent upon their ability to diagnose their own technique and implement improvements. In both cases, whether the golfer is self-teaching or learning from an instructor, efficient golf swing improvement requires an experienced entity to properly diagnose swing behavior and clearly communicate technique improvements to the golfer.
Solution Medalist’s patent pending AI based swing technology utilizes Machine Vision (video) and Deep Learning to measure a golfers swing features and analyze key bio-mechanical attributes. It then calculates needed changes to improve the users swing characteristics and provides immediate feedback allowing the user to make adjustments without the interaction of another human or piece of attached hardware.
Unique Value Proposition
A swing instruction tool that is readily available, priced accordingly and provides relevant feedback for golfers of any level or experience.
STRATEGY
Develop a machine vision and deep learning based golf swing instruction tool that will differentiate Medalist from all other products on the market.
Deliver a solution that will increase revenue by bringing golfers to the course or range during winter months or bad weather situations.
Deliver a solution that will supplement or enable the on site golf professionals ability to help more golfers per hour, in turn driving more revenue to the facility.
Deliver a solution that is available based on the users schedule, unlike current methods of golf instruction.
Deliver a solution that continually improves its performance as more people use the system, this reduces on-going development costs.
Deliver a scalable solution that can be utilized by golf course driving ranges, golf entertainment centers, golf retail stores, golf simulators, and individual golfers.
Develop a revenue generating platform that connects golfers to courses, driving ranges, and golf entertainment centers. Additionally, golfers can locate and reserve sessions for using the Medalist system, track their improvement, compete against other golfers, and take advantage of deals from third party vendors (Golf courses, equipment etc.)
GOALS
Disrupt the current market by delivering an evolutionary product that will leapfrog the existing market players.
Deliver a differentiated value driven solution that can be repeated and scaled across existing and new markets.
Create a product and brand experience that keeps the customers engaged and returning for more.
Enter the market within the highest growth area (Golf Entertainment Centers) and obtain future growth by driving the product towards a mobile solution where golfers can utilize the solution anywhere, anytime.
Product Market Fit
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Team
The Medalist team has over 30 years of experience developing and delivering complex technology solutions. The team members have deep experience in the following technologies: Big Data, Mobile App Development, SaaS, Cloud based platforms, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence. They have delivered quality products to high profile companies and institutions across industries that include: Broadcast Media, Consumer Electronics, Alternative Energy, Transportation and Logistics, Smart Cities, Traffic management, Aerospace Systems and Industrial Electronics.
Jim Cikanek - Co-Founder and CEO
Jim is a twenty plus year veteran of the Minnesota technology scene where his focus has been in product management and business strategy. Working with some of the biggest players in the broadcast media, consumer electronics, transportation and traffic management industries, Jim has developed products through the evolution of multiple technologies including big data, mobile applications and artificial intelligence. He has developed products for startup companies and guided multiple businesses through their digital transformation journey. Jim has developed strong relationships with industry leaders such as Samsung, Verizon, Apple, Motorola, AT&T, Sprint during his time guiding institutions like Stanford University, Duke University, Baylor Scott and White hospitals, MNDOT, FDOT, CDOT and many others through large scale digital transformations. Jim has a B.A. in Marketing and a MBA in Organizational Leadership from Concordia University in St. Paul, MN.
John Bartholomew - Co-Founder, CTO and President
John has ten years of experience developing industry leading technology solutions for the Aerospace and Transportation industries. As a true young up and comer in the Twin Cities technology scene, John has earned a reputation for developing cost effective and efficient technology while also becoming a respected leader early on in his career. John holds multiple patents in every industry he has worked in and pushes the envelope of innovation technology with every product he brings to life. Once a project is completed, John has the canny ability to go back through and pull cost out of his design in order to increase margins and revenue as his product matures. He is well known throughout the electronic component development industry as a driver, pushing these companies to build better hardware at a lower price. Many people are surprised to find that John is as young as he is the first time meeting him, which gains him even more respect with the industry. John has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and is in the process of completing his Masters in Computer Science with an emphasis in Artificial Intelligence from Georgia Tech University.
