Lisa Irlam - our success story

Lisa launched Swimovate Ltd in November 2009 to create electronic training aids for swimming, building on her personal interest in the sport as an amateur triathlete.

Ten years working in the electronics industry enabled Lisa to identify a potentially significant gap in the sports equipment market. Although the world’s largest participator sport, no-one had developed the kind of electronic training aids for swimming that were available for running and cycling.

Two years’ research led to the creation of Pool-Mate, a training watch for swimmers. Using a motion sensor and cutting-edge technology, it calculates speed and distance as well as providing calorie count and efficiency information.

In the first year on the market, 16,000 watches have been sold, with a turnover of over £650,000. Lisa now has her first employee and is about to launch an improved version of Pool-Mate, with over a thousand advance orders already secured.

Visit the Swimovate website