Named UpDown after the semblance of all around good exercise, the new app designed in Madison includes functions to build and keep track of a workout.
Chris Freise, the CEO of UpDown Technologies INC, chose Madison as the home base for the technology startup. Freise is a San Francisco native and graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in physics in 2011.
Freise completed a masters in entrepreneurship and worked at Epic Systems for two years.
The idea for the app UpDown came to Freise while he was on a business trip for Epic. After developing the idea, he pitched it to several people who liked the idea, and eventually he managed to get some people to co-found the company in January.
The name UpDown is a semblance of good exercise, Freise said. There is a “nice synergy” between the name and exercise itself, he said.
Freise decided to market the app in Madison after considering the benefits the city provides.
“Being from San Francisco, I had this picture in my head that when I started a company, especially a technology company, I would just have to move back to the Bay or Silicon Valley area,” Freise said. “Madison is really becoming a better community for startups.”
Madison has the kind of infrastructure technology companies need to rise, Freise said.
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The app, though still in the developing stages, is going to have two models – a business model and a consumer model, Freise said.
The consumer model, which includes both a free and premium version, can be downloaded on both Androids and Apple phones, Freise said.
The free version includes all the functions to build and keep track of a workout, Freise said. The premium version allows people to count their runs and other exercises and turn them into points that can be spent on rewards, he said.
The business model puts all of the business’ employees on the premium version while giving them a discount of about $4.49 a month, Freise said.
“Essentially businesses are not only getting all their employees on the app, but they’re also getting a discount,” he said.
Freise recently pitched his product at 100state to gain feedback from other entrepreneurs. 100state creates a community of entrepreneurs to inspire collaborations and create connections.
The opportunity not only provided him with ideas on how to make the app more interactive and fun, but it also created opportunities for others to hear about them, he said.
While the app is in its developing stages, Freise said he hopes to use this feedback to adjust and modify the app. The app is set to be available in the fall of 2015.