The Air Jordans of Ankle Braces? How Betterguards is Changing the Injury Prevention Game By Combining Safety and Swagger Despite billions spent on sports medicine, ankle injuries remain stubbornly common. With roots in the NBA Launchpad, Betterguards is redefining injury prevention under CEO Tony Verutti by putting science — and athletes — first.
By Leo Zevin Edited by Micah Zimmerman
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Whether you like basketball, football or anything else, every sports fan and athlete has one common enemy: injuries. They ruin promising careers, shatter fans' hopes and cost teams millions.
There's a massive sports medicine industry built around keeping athletes healthy. Yet some issues, like ankle injuries, just won't go away. Tony Verutti, CEO of sports tech company Betterguards, has an explanation.
"People are creating products to fit the code rather than thinking about what the athlete needs," he tells BIZ Experiences.
Betterguards started because the founder broke his ankle and realized the current solutions weren't helping athletes. Verutti believes Betterguards' new flagship product, The BetterGuard 2.0, is a step towards changing that.
"It's the first and only adaptive ankle support system that offers protection and mobility," Verutti says. "That was the idea from the start, designing a product with the athlete in mind, grounded in science, to help them move freely, perform at their best and recover faster."
Launchpad to success
Betterguards got its start through the NBA Launchpad program, designed to source, evaluate and pilot emerging technologies, working with BIZ Experiencess and companies to innovate the NBA ecosystem. Betterguards was among the first five companies selected for the program in 2022.
"The launch pad exists to help the NBA solve its own problems," Verutti says. "Well, 25% of NBA players hurt their ankle every season."
Betterguards handled the R&D of the product, while the launchpad helped by providing them with use cases to test, and third-party experts for evaluation.
"The launch pad was a huge accelerator for us because it set us on the journey to develop The BetterGuard as our own product," Verutti says.
Like many great startups, Betterguards is solution-oriented, aiming to lower the barrier to entry for ankle protection. Most medical products, like ankle braces, are introduced via a prescription from a doctor. Verutti says many doctors prescribe braces simply because they fit the code.
"Ankle braces are made based on codes that get submitted for reimbursement," he explains. "So people are creating products that fit the code, and nobody was thinking about what the athlete needs."
While The BetterGuard has been vetted, Verutti emphasizes the importance of cutting out the intermediary and selling directly to the athletes. "Athletes have been hungry for a product like this, especially with ankle injuries being the most common in sports."
It's easy to target athletes, but convincing them you're legit is a different story. Betterguards' direct-to-consumer model means they rely on athlete adoption and scientific validation, rather than just doctor recommendations, to bolster their credibility.
A big part of their customer base is young athletes between 12 and 20. Verutti believes seeing the pros rocking his products will help them catch on with this segment.
"Just like pro-model shoes can be inspiring, we see Betterguards becoming a kind of badge of honor, a sign that you take your athletic performance seriously," Verutti says. "Making that technology more accessible only helps level the playing field."
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Science, not tradition
He also notes that the company has an advanced scientific advisory board across Germany and the US, with multiple PhDs in research, orthopedic surgeons, performance experts and practitioners at the highest level of rehabilitation.
"We always say that Betterguards makes products based on science, not tradition," Verutti says. "It's a crucial part of our ethos."
These strategies are paying off. Betterguards are now used by 30 top NCAA programs, several Tier 1 athletes in the NBA and NFL, and four national Olympic teams. They are also endorsed by Keke Lyles, former Director of Performance for the Golden State Warriors.
"Betterguards stands out for its groundbreaking innovation," Lyles says. "Their technology is unlike anything I've seen, with a clear focus on injury prevention that addresses a critical need for athletes. This isn't just another endorsement for me; Betterguards is a game-changer in how we approach injury prevention and performance enhancement."
He would know, considering he helped rehab Steph Curry, the victim of some of the most infamous ankle injuries ever.
"Unlike traditional ankle braces that restrict movement, The BetterGuard allows athletes to move freely," Lyles says. "If an ankle roll occurs, the brace engages instantly to prevent or minimize injury, reducing recovery time from weeks to days. This enables athletes to focus on training and performance rather than rehab."
Injuries are every athlete's worst nightmare. Verutti's dream is to modernize injury prevention and recovery, enabling athletes to play longer, move better, and recover faster.
"In one or two years, we want to become the face of modernizing injury prevention and recovery," Verutti says. If Lyles's words are any indication, the company is well on its way.
