The International Accelerator is proud to welcome Vertikal Sports to the United States as the company launches US operations in Austin, Texas. Vertikal Sports is a performance athletic studio from Guatemala, set to revolutionize the way athletes measure and monetize their training.
Vertikal Sports already has a strong international presence established, most notably personified by their performance studio in Guatemala which collaborates with brands such as Vald Performance, BridgeAthletic, Keiser, and others to collect data, provide assessments, and create a comprehensive Training Performance Index (TPI) linked to an athlete's profile. Vertikal X, their newest project launched exclusively in the United States, aims to enable athletes to tokenize and monetize their training for the first time using the foundations of the TPI and the blockchain.
Targeted initially to high school and college athletes (with eventual penetration of the professional market), Vertikal X will enable athletes to measure their performance with a holistic assessment every 8 weeks (performance, metabolism, nutrition and mind), own their data, and monetize their training hours. Their TPI (Training Performance Index) will be then converted into a token, enabling athletes to issue shares whose value will depend on athletic performance. Shares can then be traded in Vertikal X’s marketplace using blockchain technology, allowing interested parties to invest in a particular athlete and fund their career in a transparent environment.
Founder & CEO Charlie Sarmiento is a well-known Guatemalan athlete, Sports Show TV host, and corporate executive who, while continuing active training and sponsorship, has worked for 14 years in 2 large companies in LATAM (www.disagro.com and www.cbc.co), managing more than $14 Billion in assets throughout his tenure.
In his youth, Charlie was a member of the Guatemalan National Baseball and Soccer Teams, but for the past 8 years has been an Ultra Trail Runner (50 miles to 100 miles) leading Guatemala to the first Ultra Trail World Championship in Spain in 2018. His TV Show “Deportes en Claro Sports”, where he interviews and promotes young athletes, is available in 6 countries and is watched by millions of people every year.
He started his athletic career at the age of 6, and received a partial scholarship from Jacksonville University at the age of 17. “I wasn’t able to accept that scholarship because of my mother's financial constraints after losing my dad when I was 14,” Charlie explains. “This is why Vertikal X was born. My goal is to assist young athletes from all around the world in promoting and self-funding their careers, as well as in helping their parents pay for high tuition fees. This is the drive behind everything I do. Today, only 2.5% of young athletes receive sports scholarships. We’re here to change that, and we are convinced that with the support of our new partner, the International Accelerator, we'll be able to bring about a global revolution in the sports sector.”
"It is exceedingly rare to find a high level athlete with such an extraordinary penchant for business and the vision to see the future of sports entrepreneurialism - Charlie is a determined and passionate founder, and we are lucky to have him as part of our program," said Parke Benjamin, COO of the International Accelerator
About the International Accelerator
Founded in 2014 by Angelos Angelou, the International Accelerator in Austin, Texas works exclusively with foreign-born founders, creators, and entrepreneurs to help them launch their companies in the United States. Our 12-month program offers foreign-born entrepreneurs the opportunity to live, work and develop their concept in the United States. International Accelerator, since inception, has helped entrepreneurs from over 13 countries raise an estimated $143M, with a total portfolio valuation of $530M.
To learn more about Vertikal Sports, visit https://vertikalsports.com/
Vertikal Sports
8121 Bee Cave Road, Suite 150
Austin, Texas 78746
Media Contact:
Vivian Makka
Digital Marketing Manager