Photo courtesy of JetFuel Tech
Photo courtesy of JetFuel Tech
New Albany company JetFuel Tech has developed wearable technology that can monitor and track real-time biometric data to help prevent injury, improve performance and provide data for long-term research for athletes, military personnel and others in the workforce who do high-impact jobs.
JetFuel produces wearables such as shirts, pants and sports bras that collect biometric data from a person as he or she plays a sport or does high-impact activities. The biometric clothing can then send information straight to the Cloud or a smart device, so the feedback can be monitored.
JetFuel was founded by Perry Jeter Jr., who was inspired by his father, Perry Jeter, a retired halfback for the Chicago Bears. Now, his father suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia as a result of multiple head injuries sustained over his NFL career.
“That was the driving factor,” Jeter says. “We want our systems integrated in every level, so if something radical were to come out of that … (such as) a psychological event, we may be able to trace something back to either an injury or a concussion.”
Partnerships with other companies and entities have been a large component of ensuring JetFuel’s success. In addition to athletic programs, JetFuel is working with the U.S. Department of Defense, branches of the military, and fire and police departments as well.
Also at JetFuel Tech are Benji and Ronda Burke, who serve as vice presidents of the company; Benji of JetFuel Tech, and Ronda of Lady JetFuel, which recently came out with a biometric sports bra for women.
“End goal is to be able to put these shirts and sports bras on police, firefighters just so we can track their data, … enhance their performance, cut their rehabilitation time down,” Benji says. “I think it goes way beyond sports, what we have.”
JetFuel brought its biometric sports bra to Girls Got Game, an athletic event for female middle school basketball players in Atlanta in September, allowing athletes to try the bra out for themselves.
End goal is to be able to put these shirts and sports bras on police, firefighters just so we can track their data, … enhance their performance, cut their rehabilitation time down.
“One of the things that we’re trying to do is make the jump to make the public more aware,” Ronda says. “It was a pretty big turnout, and (the girls and their families) seemed pretty excited to see what we had going on.”
To bring his company to the next level, Jeter enlisted the help of Innovate New Albany, a business incubator for technology startups, entrepreneurs and small businesses. Jeter says the folks at Innovate New Albany really helped refine aspects of JetFuel.
“The work on our side had already been done, but what (Innovate New Albany) did for us was help us refine our pitch, refine our business plan, those kinds of things,” Jeter says. “The thing I think is most valuable here is collaborating on multiple disciplines.”
Emily Real is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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