Companion Worlds, Inc. was founded in January 2003 by Dirk Bartels with several other members of the management team. Dirk, an accomplished triathlete, had previously taken two software companies public and wanted to create a solution that helps people achieve their best by using technology to access a growing list of fitness and sports coaching services.

Market research indicated a need for high-quality, personalized coaching, but existing business models meant that these services were financially out of reach for most consumers. Available technology-driven solutions were not effective because they were impersonal, poor quality and hard to use. Today, the need for high-quality, interactive fitness instruction is acute given escalating health care costs, the national obesity epidemic and aging baby boomers who seek to maintain active lifestyles.

Companion Worlds developed the Progio System as the world's first total solution to provide interactive, expert coaching anywhere, anytime. Coaching that is focused on fitness, performance and corrective exercise. Coaching that is delivered in a rich mix of video, audio and text. Coaching that is personalized, of high value and effective. Consumer trials of the service have indicated the Progio System is effective in helping users know what to do, how to do it and track their performance over time.

The Progio System delivers these benefits by taking advantage of the multimedia and communications capabilities of the newest generation of mobile digital devices.
 

Mission

Bring expertise, knowledge and programs of world-renowned health, fitness and performance experts to every athlete, anytime and anywhere.


Advisory Board

Roger Craig – Professional Athlete & Technology Specialist
Roger joined the NFL's San Francisco 49ers as a second-round draft choice in 1983 out of the University of Nebraska and was a vital member of the San Francisco offense during three Super Bowl championship seasons. Today, Roger holds several board positions and is a Director of Business Development at Tibco.

Dave Scott - World Class Athlete and Professional Trainer
Dave joined the Companion Advisory Board because he believes the key to fitness success comprises three things, all of which are provided by the Companion Worlds’ solution: 1) Motivation, 2) Instruction, 3) Measurable Results. Dave is a six-time Ironman champion and the first inductee to the Ironman Hall of Fame. He has been the figurehead, inspiration and coach for tri-athletes for over two decades.

Whitney Lynn – Accomplished Silicon Valley CEO & Competitive Athlete
Whitney's business accomplishments in technology include serving as interim CEO of Borland Software, and founder of Incat Systems Software, later sold to Adaptec/Roxio. His love of sport and fitness explains his interest in Companion Worlds. He joined the Advisory Board in 2004 with a powerful belief in the value personal trainers can bring to individual performance. Whitney has completed five Ironman distance triathlons, including three finishes at Ironman Hawaii. He is also the co-owner of B&L Bike and Sports, Kona, Hawaii, which is the official Ironman Triathlon Bike Store.

Thomas Meyerhoffer – Industrial Design
Thomas has worked for Apple, IDEO and Porsche. He focused his design on the physical; drawing meaning in less-obvious clues of life to bring his designs closer to the narrative experience a product has the potential to produce. He was part of the initial Apple team of designers presented with the problem of how to move away from the beige computer box. His design of the eMate, an early Apple translucent computer, was well received with many awards and is in the permanent collection of SFMOMA. Recently, Thomas designed the "Danger Sidekick" device, which was awarded "Best Product of 2003” by PC World and a "Wired Rave” award. Thomas formed his own studio, meyerhoffer, working for clients including Cappellini, Danese, Ericsson and Smith.

Jateen Parekh – Strategic Advisor for Hardware Engineering
Jateen has an extensive background in architecture, research and design of consumer electronic products. Some of the products he worked on include AirMedia Live wireless receivers, Global Village networking servers, Philips Pronto Remote control, Electronic Wallets (for Philips Research), E-Books (for Philips research), high end digital A/V receivers, Domestic Digital Assistants and ReplayTV.
 

Content Partners

© 2005 Companion Worlds, Los Altos, CA. All rights reserved. The information on this site is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Companion Worlds. The information contained in it is classified as public unless classified otherwise. Information that has not been classified as Public is subject to restricted distribution under a contract or non-disclosure agreement. Progio™, ProXM™, Progio ProXM Player™ are registered trademarks of Companion Worlds, Inc. Sports PDA™ and Achieve Your Best™ are service marks of Companion Worlds, Inc.
                                                                                                                                                                                       

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