300+
Training videos
30,000
Downloads in the first month
0.03€
Cost per download
Coachinho is a start-up focussing on the digital communication of high-quality football training content. Coachinho’s product is based on the innovative pose detection technology from LightningPose.
2021
Bonn
Sport
App development
Together with SPRYLAB, Coachinho has refined its business model and rolled out a first app version internationally as an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in just under three months. Coachinho is an app for football enthusiasts who want to take digital training to a new level with interactive skill games and instructional videos. Whether players or coaches, the app offers training plans and games with innovative pose detection technology that help users improve their football skills – and have a lot of fun in the process.
Coachinho combines both the fun of football and the opportunity to train your favourite sport without coaches or club structures. “With Coachinho, we want to make a decisive contribution to the education and training of young footballers – regardless of their origin and social status,” says Max Knorreck, founder and CEO of Coachinho. In many countries there is no nationwide club system and Coachinho gives children and young people all over the world access to professional training videos and training plans. It was therefore clear from the outset that the app would also be available as a freemium model in the long term.
With plenty of football expertise and a clear design for the app in mind, the two founders – Max Knorreck and Dennis Eck – approached SPRYLAB. The collaboration began with a workshop in which the features of the app, the design details and the user experience were worked out more clearly. In this context, the business model and the go-to-market strategy were given a final polish.
The football training app offers various functions to customise training and train specific categories. In particular, selected key areas in football such as dribbling, tackling behaviour or athleticism can be trained. Training videos with professional footballers from the German Bundesliga such as Robert Andrich from Bayer Leverkusen or Moritz Leitner, ex-BVB player, increase the fun factor.
A special feature of the Coachinho app is the integration of small and large games. After intensive analogue user testing on the football pitch, it was clear that gamification was crucial for success. Children and young people of different age groups love to play games – and they love challenges. Coachinho therefore combines workout videos, drills, tutorials for tricks, position and age-specific training plans with typical game elements. Exercises can be performed and points collected in a playful way. SPRYLAB was responsible for the technical development.
The games are co-developed by the start-up LightningPose, which has launched a new type of technology for mobile phones with innovative pose detection technology. In a game, for example, the user sees a target point on their smartphone, the device in turn recognises the movements and detects whether this point has been hit correctly. This makes it possible to play an interactive game without any other devices, which makes the app unique. SPRYLAB integrated the technology into the app and developed the interfaces for a smooth upload of the training content.
The app follows a freemium model and offers both free content and the option to take out a paid premium subscription. The aim is to retain users in the app in the long term and thus enable monetisation. Payment and subscription management is handled in collaboration with an external service provider. Google Pay and Apple Pay were integrated via SPRYLAB, with billing possible in the respective national currency via the corresponding Play Store.
The app was developed using Flutter, a hybrid development environment suitable for Android and iPhone. An iPad version is currently under development to improve usability for a wider audience.
The collaboration between Coachinho and SPRYLAB was characterised by short paths and quick feedback loops. Knorreck: “We compared numerous IT partners at the beginning. In the end, we chose SPRYLAB because of its impressive expertise in the app and AI sector and a very successful workshop.”
The app was launched worldwide, with the exception of the USA. In the first month since its launch, Coachinho has already achieved 30,000 downloads. The average usage time of users is growing steadily, also thanks to the continuous addition of training videos. Monetisation is currently being achieved through the premium subscription model – however, the first step is to gain market share, usage time and feedback. “So much passion and technological innovation has gone into the development of the app. It’s great fun to see the result on the market and to collect feedback from users,” explains Knorreck.
Coachinho was launched with the slogan “We make you a pro” and a focus on individual users. A long-term goal is for the app to also be used by coaches and for teams. Expanding its own community is another important step, as is the further development of the game mechanics. Streaks, push notifications, leader boards and a level system are planned for this. The app, which is currently only available in English, will also be available in other languages in the future.
Coachinho GmbH is a Bonn-based company focussing on the digital delivery of high-quality football training content. It was founded in March 2021 by Max Knorreck and former regional league player Dennis Eck. The start-up’s product is based on innovative pose detection technology. In two pre-seed rounds, Coachinho raised a total of €400,000 from Digitalhub, NRW.Bank and business angels, who also support the team strategically with expertise and their own networks.
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