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Betterguards Technology
Betterguards Technology is a German-engineered sports-tech company that builds adaptive ankle braces using a patented micro-hydraulic piston. Unlike rigid braces or taping, the BetterGuard moves freely with the athlete and stiffens only at the instant of a dangerous ankle roll, reacting several times faster than the human body. Founded in Berlin/Hennigsdorf and now with a New York operation, the company sells direct-to-consumer and has been adopted by athletes across the NBA, NFL, MLS, MLB, NCAA and Olympic programs after joining the 2022 NBA Launchpad cohort.
Tony Verutti
Tony Verutti is the CEO of Betterguards Technology, a German sports-tech company whose adaptive ankle brace uses a micro-hydraulic piston that stays loose during play and locks in a split second when the ankle rolls, then releases. A lifelong athlete who tore his ACL four times and grew up in a physical therapist's household, he took the top job in April 2023 and pushed the product into the NBA, NFL, NCAA and Olympic teams, backed by the NBA's Launchpad program. His pitch: athletes shouldn't trade mobility for protection, and gear should be built on science, not tradition.
Scott Magargee
Scott Magargee is the CEO and co-founder of Springbok Analytics, a Charlottesville, Virginia company that turns ordinary MRI scans into FDA-cleared, AI-built 3D maps of every muscle in the human body. A former Princeton history major and Top 100 law firm litigator, he traded courtrooms for muscle health, joining the University of Virginia spinout in December 2019 and steering it through a $5M oversubscribed Series A in January 2025 backed by the NBA. Under his watch, Springbok has scanned elite athletes, pro basketball leagues, and clinical-trial patients, chasing a single idea: make muscle visible, measurable, and actionable.