eXRciser is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with Francisco Ros, Executive Chairman and CEO of eXRciser, to learn more about how this Spanish startup is bringing the latest AR and XR technologies into the wellness and health sectors, and hear why they’ve decided to join our accelerator program.
Hi Francisco! Tell us about eXRciser, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
After four years of working with advanced technologies for the wellness sector, at the end of 2021 we realised that virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR) commercial devices were ready to be applied to the fitness world. We did some testing and we found that there was a need for an app which could guide users to execute physical exercises in a correct way. Gaming was good, but correct guidance to avoid injuries were clearly lacking.
We put together a multidisciplinary team and started to develop a virtual technology platform with that focus in mind; we successfully implemented an MVP (minimum viable product), and in September 2022 the eXRciser company was created.
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
After making our product commercially available for the user via Meta’s App Lab store, we have seen that our platform and app are uniquely positioned to be used across the health sector, in areas such as rehabilitation, cardiology, and to monitor and fight some chronic diseases, obesity and sedentarism, and more.
We are convinced that S3E can help us expanding our European footprint to identify both synergistic institutions and projects, as well as additional funding sources.
What are the key ambitions for eXRciser? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
We want to be the mixed and extended reality company of reference for safe and monitored wellness applications, both domestically and for specialised health applications. We are the only company offering adjustable body tracking and a private recording system for easy use by professionals, like personal trainers, physiotherapist or coaches. One of our mottos says: “Do it right, do it with us, don’t be injured and enjoy the benefits.”
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur who’d like to launch their own startup?
Be brave, be focused, be creative, never forget the user. And be prepared to resist — receiving external funding takes longer than you expect.