Is fitness the new app ecosystem? Nike launches startup accelerator | The Verge

posted on 10/12/2012 22:19 #startups #fitness #nike

http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/10/3751334/nike-plus-accelerator-techstars

Nike announced today that it is launching Nike Accelerator, a startup accelerator program in partnership with TechStars with the goal of “[leveraging] the Nike platform, and NikeFuel, to build offerings that inspire and assist people to live more active, healthy lifestyles.” It’s a sign of the growth and increasing competition in the health space, where Nike is going up against companies like Jawbone and Fitbit for the attention of developers and consumers. It’s an industry with a surprising amount of ecosystem lock-in — the so-called Fuel points that measure activity, for instance, are proprietary to Nike — and the race is on to build health-focused empires that could become multibillion-dollar industries in the coming years.