MBA Alum Turns Boring Workouts into Competitive Games
If you’ve ever been on a stationary rowing machine you probably noticed how boring it was, despite the great benefits it provided. Andy Hoang (MBA ’13), Founder and CEO of Aviron Interactive, saw an opportunity to end the tedium by combining High-Intensity Interval Training-styled (HIIT) workouts with gamified content and a competitive spin.
Aviron provides competitive games through an interactive rowing machine that utilizes magnetic and air resistance allowing you to pull up to 100 pounds with each stroke. So, instead of your home workout being led by an instructor, you can burn calories competing against Olympians or being chased by packs of hungry wolves. “Rowing engages 85% of your muscles and is low impact,” says Hoang. “What better way to make it fun and exciting than by putting video games on there?”
The Toronto-based startup had been providing its rowing machines to the B2B market until they found themselves competing for market share against tech giants like Peloton. “Our workouts are 10-15 minutes,” shared Hoang. “You do maybe one or two of them, and by the end, you feel like you’re going to die because it’s so tough. Peloton is typically much longer with less intensity and resistance.”
Hoang will also be headlining an upcoming Schulich VIP Session as part of the ‘Schulich Startups’ Community and is looking forward to supporting the next generation of Schulich entrepreneurs. “We are thrilled to have Andy sharing his wealth of experience building hardware/software products and building a globally-minded e-commerce company,” says Chris Carder – Executive Director of Schulich’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Watch this video to experience the Aviron workouts.