Uplift: Sukemasa Kabayama

VCs and family offices often find themselves at the crossroads of innovation, constantly seeking the next big thing that not only has the potential to scale but also delivers a net positive impact on society. In a recent conversation with Masa, the co-founder of Uplift, we gained insights into his journey, his motivations, and the market gap he aimed to fill.

Can you talk about your journey with Uplift so far, and what motivated you to start?

I’ve always asked myself: how do you find emerging tech that could scale but also have a net positive effect for society? That’s something that’s very important to me. What we’re doing at Uplift especially resonates with that goal.

The “aha” moment came from my own fitness. I kept thinking: what is it about my movement patterns that are causing injuries and preventing me from optimising my performance? That introspection made me realise the problem extended far beyond myself. It resonates with everyone from professional athletes to everyday fitness enthusiasts.

The gap in the market is that it’s very difficult to understand how you’re moving and whether you’re moving well: for performance, sports, fitness or wellness. Existing solutions tend to be cumbersome, like wearables, or very expensive camera systems.

What were your first orders of business after deciding to start Uplift? How did you go about funding?

My first mission was to find the right co-founders. I was very fortunate to found Uplift with my two co-founders. I handle more of the business side: sales, business development, fundraising. My two co-founders have the technology chops. One is a computer vision guru; the other is a deep learning AI expert.

Having the courage of your convictions, and understanding that the founders’ skill sets are complementary, was the first step. Then we focused on the three T’s: team, tech and traction.

Another piece of advice I’d give is to have a compelling, very strong story, and make sure you’re hiring the best. Don’t compromise on people, whether they’re co-founders or teammates.

What scalability obstacles did you encounter?

We actually went to market with two GoPros. They weren’t connected devices. Every time we onboarded a customer, we had to fly: even for demos, we flew all over the US. Then COVID hit and everything came to a standstill.

We knew using GoPros, SD cards, and manual clipping and uploading wasn’t streamlined. So we transitioned to iOS and iPhones to address our scalability problem. That pivot let us sell, onboard and manage clients online.

Now when we sign up clients, we do it all through Zoom, because the hurdle is low enough that they can get started on their own. For a lot of our customers today, we do a majority of the onboarding on Zoom: just an hour session and they can get started.

As CEO, how did you keep the team motivated, especially during COVID?

During COVID we had about two to three months left. It was one of those survival moments for the company. Most importantly, we looked at resources. Everybody took a massive pay cut so we could stretch our runway. Once we got funded, we readjusted everything back, but those days were pretty hard. The COVID crisis helped coalesce the team together.

The CEO has to have a plan, a strong vision, and the leadership to show where that north star is and where everybody is rowing. It’s a roller coaster ride sometimes: emotionally, and even for mental health. But it helps people get through it when they know they can trust their fellow teammates.

Can you share an obstacle or failure that had unexpected consequences?

Originally we were targeting the fitness industry. I was fortunate to meet and try to sell to some of the top people in that industry. I thought it would be the coolest thing as a gym member to have a service that automatically tracked your sets and reps and kept a record of how you were improving over time.

But gyms tend to survive on pretty thin margins. There’s a limit to how much they can really pay. The bigger problem was that it wasn’t a top pain point for them.

We spun our wheels for six months to a year trying to tackle that problem before we shifted our focus. Looking back, that was a huge newbie mistake.

How engaged are you with customer feedback? Has it shaped the product?

Yes. One significant enhancement came from the physical constraints of the spaces where our technology was deployed.

Some MLB teams have very generous batting cages, so it’s easy to place two iPhones or iPads on tripods according to our recommended specs. But some minor league or affiliate cages are much tighter. They just don’t have the space.

That led us to launch manual distance entry, which lets you change the distance of the cameras. If you’re in a tight space, you can move them closer without losing accuracy.

How are you approaching international expansion?

We definitely have the drive to expand internationally. But you need to be really disciplined not to do it too early or too quickly. As a seed-stage startup you only have so many resources, and you can’t boil the ocean.

If you do enter a market, you have to really understand the idiosyncrasies of each one. I can speak about Japan because I previously ran Tesla Japan. It’s a completely different market, a different buying mentality. It’s relationship driven. You’ve got to get the team on the ground right as much as the product right, and you certainly have to localise.

What legacy do you hope Uplift leaves? How will you measure impact beyond financial success?

I think we would have done our duty if we put a serious dent in the movement universe. And when I say movement, it’s not just athletic performance. It’s also movement health.

I view Uplift as ultimately a movement health company. We really want to support the world’s movement so people can be healthier and enjoy the sports they do while staying as injury-free as possible. That vision extends not only to professional athletes but also to everyday individuals, elderly care, and the broader community.

Looking back, what advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t be afraid to be bold and go after the bigger opportunity. Be careful not to be too swayed by what investors want. Early on, you might hear investor feedback and think you need to adjust your vision. But it should be the other way around. Stick to your passionate vision, and if investors share your passion, collaborate with them.

Have the courage of your conviction. It might take longer, but there are people out there who will believe in improving the world through your startup. Just stick to your guns.