• Ochy raises EUR 1.7M in Pre-Seed funding from investors including Look AI Ventures and Redstone
• The startup’s AI-powered app analyzes running gait in real-time using just a smartphone camera
• Key partnerships with Adidas’ adiClub and the French Athletics Federation expand its market reach
• Funding will enhance AI accuracy, global expansion, and user experience for athletes and professionals

This February, the proactive Czech AI-focused VC fund Look AI Ventures took part in the Pre-Seed round of the French software startup Ochy that developed proprietary computer vision AI for real-time running gait analysis. The round amounts EUR 1.7M and is led by Redstone’s Social Impact Fund, while other investors include Bpifrance, Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, and Agile Physical Therapy.

Introducing the Founding Team

Ochy was started in 2021 by three co-founders with diverse and thus complementary backgrounds. Khaldon Evans, the CEO, used to be NCAA track athlete at the University of Central Missouri, whose running career was affected by injuries caused by improper running form. Unable to continue his career in sports, he turned to marketing and business and worked as a product manager before founding Ochy.

Ochy itself was named after Ocho Rios, a city in Jamaica. It is the CEO’s hometown and, like most locals, he likes to refer to it as ‘Ochy.’ Thus, the name reflects the company’s roots in athletics, as well as the founders’ personal journey in building an innovative solution for runners worldwide​.

Ochy’s COO Perrine Chapot is physiotherapist and biomechanics specialist with a successful university sports career in the US. She can boast about nearly 10 years of experience at biomechanics labs where she specifically worked on analyzing running techniques and preventing injury.

Victor Dequidt is the startup’s CTO and an expert in AI and software engineering. He studied at Epitech Paris, and his professional interests encompassed cybersecurity and software development. Passionate about AI and new technologies, Mr Dequidt provided the additional technical expertise to bring the Ochy vision to life.

The Problem and the Solution

The idea for Ochy literally came from the founders’ personal pain, namely Mr Evans’ and Ms Chapot’s experience with injuries. They had both relied on biomechanical lab analysis during their running careers to understand their weaknesses and avoid injuries. However, those analyses were expensive and not accessible to most runners. Having realized that many athletes needed a cheaper, more accessible way to improve their running form, they turned to AI and mobile technology to democratize running analysis. To build a high tech solution to the problem that they detected, they teamed up with Mr Dequidt and his AI and computer vision expertise.

‘Ochy is an app that helps runners improve their technique and avoid injuries. It uses a smartphone camera to record a 10-second running video and analyze how the user runs, including such biomechanical metrics like posture, stride, and joint movement. Each analysis provides a total efficiency score. Then, it gives personalized advice and exercises to help them run better and stay injury-free. This is important because many runners get injured due to poor technique, and traditional motion analysis is expensive and only available in labs. Ochy makes this technology easy, affordable, and accessible to everyone​​, no wearables or motion capture required,’ Mr Evans explains

Importantly, Ochy’s computer vision AI for running gait analysis was developed in-house by the team, including Ms Chapot and research director Dr Benjamin Niay.

Business Model and Notable Partnerships

Business-wise, Ochy follows a B2B and B2B2C approach. While individual runners are also welcome to use the app, Ochy partners with coaches, healthcare professionals, sports brands, and running stores to integrate its offering into their services. This way, professionals can offer running analysis to their clients, helping both amateur and professional athletes.

Despite such an early stage, Ochy’s roster of clients includes such recognized names as the French Athletics Federation and, most recently, Adidas’ adiClub loyalty program. As per the partnership, Ochy got integrated within adiClub’s partner offers section. Members are welcome to redeem their points to access Ochy for free, leverage advanced biomechanics analysis and tailored insights, enhance their running performance, and reduce injury risk.

‘At adiClub, we are committed to empowering our members to perform at their best. We’re excited to partner with Ochy to offer our members exclusive access to their cutting-edge biomechanics analysis,’ Adidas’ Global Director Partnership Development Javier Arias comments.

With the New Funding, What’s Next?

According to Mr Evans, the new investment brings Ochy—a tool built by runners, for runners—closer to the team’s vision of ultimately hassle-free access to motion analysis and making lab-quality running gait analysis accessible to all athletes. Namely:

• Improve its AI technology: Enhancing the accuracy and capabilities.
• Expand its reach: Grow its presence in more countries and attract more users.
• Develop community-driven initiatives: Strengthen engagement with athletes, coaches, and healthcare professionals.
• Enhance user experience: Continue refining the app and web platform​

‘With our innovative AI solution, a partnership with an iconic global brand like adidas, and the support of forward-thinking investors, we are laying a foundation to help runners achieve their goals and reduce injuries by equipping them—as well as coaches, physios, and running stores—with AI running form analysis technology,’ Mr Evans concludes.

One cannot underestimate how crucial computer vision AI’s real-time running gait analysis is for enhancing performance and preventing injuries. By providing instant, data-driven insights into a runner’s biomechanics and detecting inefficiencies and imbalances in stride, foot strike, and posture, a solution like Ochy’s obviously helps athletes and coaches make precise adjustments to optimize efficiency and reduce strain on the body. This empowers track athletes and runners of all levels to train smarter, minimize injury risks, and achieve their full potential with personalized, real-time feedback.