Meet Kresten Juel Jensen, CEO and co-founder of Motosumo
I’m Kresten Juel Jensen, CEO and co-founder of Motosumo, the global fit-tech brand positioned to disrupt the cycling fitness category.
An engineer by trade, and a Dane, I started Motosumo with a small group of like-minded mathematicians, two PhD graduates in biomedical sciences and astrophysics, and an elite athlete. We decided to quit our day jobs and develop our vision to democratize fitness, and make it fun, accessible, and affordable for everyone. For me, Motosumo sits at the intersection of my life’s passions and professional experience.
As a student, I specialized in product development, and, after a few years working as a research engineer, I co-founded Resolvent, a niche engineering consultancy that specializes in multiphysics simulation and data analysis. I also studied business, strategy, and innovation at INSEAD and worked with several young, innovative tech companies.
Before Resolvent, I was president of the Copenhagen Triathlon Club. While there, I saw how people tend to live healthier, more active lives when they’re having fun and realised that a sense of community will always outlive a gym membership.
What inspired you to launch your business and what is the end goal?
Initially, we wanted to see if mobile phones could produce accurate and complex fitness data through pre-existing sensors. With our technology and engineering expertise, our founding team invented a way to get pro level fitness metrics on any stationary bike by tapping the sensors within mobile smartphones. Now, we’re the only app in the world that can do it at that level. In the beginning, Motosumo was used by gyms and cycling studios all over the world, with hundreds of thousands of users, to instantly upgrade their equipment and run fun, connected group fitness classes. When COVID-19 hit, and we saw the impact on the fitness industry, we evolved our platform to cater towards the at-home workout experience for those that are looking for a way to stay healthy and connect with others. Now, thanks to Motosumo’s unparalleled tech, anyone can enjoy a fully interactive at-home fitness experience - with a global team of instructors and over 160 live classes a month - without needing the latest bike or specialist equipment: just a stationary bike and a smartphone.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?
The biggest lesson that I have learned as an entrepreneur is dive in and don’t be afraid to learn as you go and follow the pursuit of your dreams. Similar to others in the tech industry, I didn’t take the traditional business school route. My co-founders and I took an untraditional path to get to where we are. If you are focused, willing to learn as much as you can, and have a passion to drive you towards your goals, you will start to grow into your role as an entrepreneur and leader.
We continue to learn from each other each day as well as those around us. We love what we do, we are fully committed to our mission, and we are passionate about making this experience as accessible as possible and opening the category to millions more who can benefit from a cycling workout anywhere – whether in the gym, home, dorm, or office.
With all the success stories around entrepreneurship and how innovative people have to be to take the leap. How do you think you’ve innovated your sector and why?
The cycling fitness category has become somewhat elitist in that only those who can afford expensive equipment or programming can enjoy the many physical and mental benefits it has to offer. With Motosumo, we wanted to change that. We worked to create a service that opened the category to anyone, anywhere, on any stationary bike. Motosumo is inviting all of you to the cycling category. It's a lot of fun, it's a great workout, and it's a path toward a happier and healthier you.
How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?
Motosumo is uniquely positioned in the industry as we put our people, coaches, members, and philosophy at the forefront of our mission: to help people be happier and healthier.
Motosumo is the only app in the world that can tap the sensors in your smartphone to measure your workout performance on a smartphone at the level we have achieved. Our live, interactive experience also differentiates us and is tailored to meet the goals of our members, whether to relieve stress, burn calories, boost energy, lift one’s mood, or connect with others from around the world who have joined the same class.
Additional differentiators that separate Motosumo from other businesses in our industry include our people, the affordability, and the convenience of Motosumo. Motosumo is much more affordable than your average gym membership. We have enough world-class instructors and timeslots throughout the week to fit with your busy schedule, regardless of what continent or time zone you are in, for only $12.99 a month with as many live, interactive classes as you choose! Motosumo works instantly on any stationary bike, anywhere. You do not have to wait for special equipment to be delivered. You can use the bike in your gym or hotel, or buy one that fits your budget and needs.
What was the journey like when you decided to raise funding for your startup? And what tips would you give to early-stage founders getting ready to take the same path?
Our team has had a unique experience as this was the first time for our group of co-founders entering the funding and venture-capital scene.
From our experiences, one piece of advice that I can provide to other early-stage founders is you can never raise too much money throughout funding rounds. Always lead with the mentality that you need more as costs will arise throughout the startup process.
Another piece of advice is – learn as much as you can along the way and continue to improve your pitching skills and strategies throughout. Over time, the more you pitch, the more confident you will become.
What are your top tips for entrepreneurs wanting to get their business out there?
Some of the best advice that I can provide is to stay persistent and never give up. Through the ups and downs, especially when starting and growing a business, persistence is a strong quality to have for approaching the many challenges, and mistakes, you will encounter. It is extremely important to remember your goals and vision and continue to motivate and inspire your team. This sense of perspective helps to guide your passion and contributes to building a strong team that values the business.
How important is company culture and what is your top tip to get it right?
Company culture is extremely important, not just in startups, but in any successful business. One tip, and something that makes a huge difference with our team at Motosumo, is having a diverse set of talents, backgrounds, and skills that everyone brings to the table.
We like to say we have the whole “value-chain,” from specialized data researchers and developers, who develop and deal with the complicated app technology, all the way to very extroverted and energetic fitness instructors from all over the world. Our Motosumo team has a truly unique dynamic across all teams, with a huge commonality being everyone’s passion for the business, helping people be happier and healthier, and of course, having fun.
How did you conquer those moments of doubt that so often affect entrepreneurs or stop many with great ideas – what pushes you through?
It’s always been in my nature to be persistent in everything I do, whether it’s in my personal or professional life, work, or sports; my persistence has helped me push through the darker moments of doubt and high-pressure times.
Additionally, my ability to talk to and engage with all kinds of people combined with the fact that I am very solution-oriented, focusing on the big-picture rather than getting caught up in the details, helps me push through the noise, so that I can ask for resources where I need them. Overall, I think these traits, the support of my team, and my willingness to never give up keeps me going, no matter the hardship or moments of doubt along the way.
How do you believe the evolution of tech will affect your industry over the next 10 years?
Cycling fitness tech has evolved rapidly recently – as has consumer demand – especially during the pandemic. At Motosumo, we view our service as an important step forward in further evolving the category, the level of demand, and the level of consumer participation.
As the world is reopening and people are returning to their gyms or a hybrid workout approach, we believe that this is just the beginning for the cycling fitness space to grow, especially as we continue to invite more people into the category by providing a cost-effective option available for anyone that can use a stationary bike and a smartphone.
Over the next 10 years, we expect a global adoption to the space. As it stands now, many countries still do not have access to big cycling programs and equipment. In ten years, we believe that Motosumo’s technology, which offers a more accessible price point and convenient option that can be used anywhere, will be the preferred fitness solutions in many continents and countries.
What do you think gives a brand longevity?
We are continuing to stay true to our original vision of providing our members and instructors with a great community and happier and healthier experiences.
However, for a brand to have a longevity, you must continue to innovate – listen to your market and users, identify pain points, address them, and find innovative ways to continue keeping your users satisfied. Therefore, at Motosumo, we are constantly thinking of ways to stay ahead of the curve and enhance the member experience. We have worked relentlessly to reduce our streaming delay to an unparalleled .5 seconds and made the investment to provide the real studio experience where instructors react to numbers, emojis, and provide a true live interactive workout session.
Recently, Motosumo went through a rebrand to suit the consumer market, which involved updating our app so it also works as a one device solution (i.e. no extra screen needed as it all happens on the smart phone). Changes such as this one will be important to us as we continue to strive to provide the best possible experience to our members, potential members, and instructors. We just launched in the U.S. and we also have other exciting moves in the works. Join us for a class, follow Motosumo on social, and stay tuned!
