Waterloo Public Library Digital Collections

Waterloo Chronicle (Waterloo, On1868), 7 Jul 2016, p. 14

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My 7, 2016 0 Local fitness app startup Oneset has brush unth fame on way to 100,000 users .. 3180' Vlmuutc . -._ ‘1 . ‘ ' ‘ ‘ ‘ " g They refined the market for WMWC 5% :7 r _ ‘1 7â€", .t l ‘ . 3" ' their app targeting the bodybuildâ€" _â€"_“_ - ‘- .4 j ingworldmdthefoundtheyreal- little bit of serendipity led to ‘. . ly appealed to the powerlifters by Ala'Ilocai startup called Oneset ‘ ‘ showing them proper techniques aking their best pitch on and program they could follow to CBC's popular show Dragon's Den. maximize their result; Thebriefbrushwithfamehassa ‘ 'Thesearetheguysyouseeln themonthepathtosuooessasthey thegym'aaldAbdullah.‘Nowthat get ready to launch more content on we've got a hug population of them their app available on Google Play on board. we can scale it out to yoga. andtheAppleStore. amount-Medium They even got some of the TV 'You need a mud base to start. entrepreneurs interested in their and our platform is no positive and concept of a workout app that sub- engwngfortheuaem' stitutes for a personal trainer. They it's even helped create a support~ camedosetomakingadeal iveonlinecommunitywherepeople 'We weren'tevenintendingtogo helpeachotherwithtedtniques and on the show,” said Arnad Abdullah tips. ltheipskeepthem on track ~ founder of the workout app being ‘ ‘ Oneset has been able to provide developed out of the Velocity Garage a base for that support, and will be 7 at the Communitech Hub. 'lt was adding more programs including just by chance someone mentioned session with celebrity trainers and it to me.” some of the celebrities themselves. The Oneset team was doing a sep- "Ihe concept came from a prob- arate pitch competition when a tweet lem we had ourselve. We would go to by Dragon's Den member Michael the gym and say 'What should we do Wekerle. a local tech promoter, said today?" said Abdullah. whose devel» there were auditions being held at opment team includes a few fitness his Waterloo Innovation NCNOTR The team from Oneset recently appeared on the season finale of CBC's Dragon's Den with their personal trainer 53mm“- 'We didn't n33W know what building on Columbia Street. app. Since then. they've been to Montreal for an accelerator program put on by Real Ventures. and have more than to d0. but we thought if we could ‘1 said we might as well go," said 100,000 users at their app, which teaches people proper techniques and motivates them to work out. loam morn Show exercises that we do that could a‘tbdullah. 'I just did a pitch oompetl- inspire other people, that's what the [ion and had my lines memorized. so concept was all about. I might aswell do the same pitch.” of TV production It prompted four of the Dragons after, but it helped raise our brand ‘And it was awesome when you They went and made their best ”My wife (Heather) was helping to make an otter for a lo per cent and our profile. can go to the gym when you know pitch possible, making the case for me with the pitch and her hands stake of the company for $50,000 “There were no hard feelings and what your doing and have the motl- their business without the usual were shaking a little bit, but the They went into negotiations after the w'vestillhadaomediautssions. vation to go.” mmputer aids or visuals. Abdullah Dragon's were so nice to her." said show to see it they could finalize the Oneeet is backinWaterioo Region There was no doubt that Oneset wasn't sure how it went. it was a bit Abdullah, 'We ended up filming for deal. alterthelr Montrealexperiencemdy would return to the area, not only of an austere setting. but there was an hour and 10 minutes, and a lot of While it ultimately didn't work to take thenext stepcwith their start- because of the abundant tech tal- some buzz around his perfonnanoe. interesting things and hmny things out. the process set them on a differ- up with a more defined direction and ent and supportive ecosystem but That translated into a callback happened that i wish they aired. but entpath. marketing expertise. because members of the Oneset and Oneeet‘s appearance on the sea- they didn't. Oneset got invited to work with "The Montreal experience literally team Abdullah yew up in the area. mnlOfinaleofthepopularWllww. 'Golnglnwewere reallynervous aseedstagecapitalflrmcalledkeal changed us.’ said Abdullah,'Atthe 'Weallgrewuphere,andweall 'We were the last pitch right at the time because we only had Ventureswho moved them to Mon- show we were at about 5,000 users. came from here,‘ said Abdullah. belore the finale. when they recap 5,000 users. We thought we might be treal to loin an accelerator program we're nowup to |00,(X)0 were. "This started out as a family business the season,’ aid Abdullah. 'lt was a the pitch thatgets ridiculed.’ after the show, ”The amount that we grew has â€" myfirst developerwaamy brother. great spot. and we got a lot of attenr But they brought backup, indud- 'We had a few meetings, but ulti- been amazing. and Montreal really my first marketing guy was my cous- tion from it. ing a personal trainer who works mately we didn't end up taking the helped usto understand howto scale m. myflrstdesigterwasmyoouain. 'We had no idea it was going to with the likes of Canadian NBA offer because we got a better ofler.’ further. 'We have among dietnktrylrom golike that.’ star Andrew Wiggins and some of said Abdullah. ‘A lot people don't 'We were with a great group of thebegtnning. andthiainourhorne.‘ Abdullah raid the experi the Toronto Blue lays. to add pollah know that only in per cent of deals mentors that reallypuahed us, and it For more about the app, visit ence opened his eyes to world to the presentation. on the show actually go through really madeuapuahounelves." www.mreeetco. / " “a d o o . a. Emigmh/ as; Your 3W3? 'Wllllllllg communltv newspaper ‘N M '4" tr’ I ° :4» e (le IVEl‘Ed to 52,000 homes every Thursday ti?” :e ‘ Kl . «"'/ . fl = 0 r - C ‘ 3‘ . . .. . c cOKO‘

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