Mach Hockey is safety equipment for hockey players, designed with the unique needs of goalies in mind. While there are numerous companies offering similar safety equipment, Mach Hockey goes a step further. Their light, flexible, foam material hardens on impact and they use military grade Kevlar to prevent lacerations. By changing the material and design of the equipment, they can focus on preventing injuries most often suffered by goalies.
Founders:
Alex Von Mach
Everet Bommarito
The Problem Being Solved:
Mach Hockey is focused on creating more protective equipment for hockey players, specifically goalies. The neck guard uses a cut-resistant fabric, combined with an impact resistant collar bone protector to prevent injuries and save lives.
Where the Idea Comes From:
Alex created this gear essentially to solve his own problem. As a hockey player, he was consistently getting injured because his equipment was not protective enough. So, he did his own research and started creating gear with more protective materials. Then, he decided to spread the word.
Exciting:
While Alex knows they are a small fish in a very big pond, competing with much larger stores with established connections, he is excited to create products more tailored toward the consumer than what is already on the market. The products they have made so far have been custom-made.
Target Customer:
According to Alex, their target consumer is “all the hockey players out there looking for better – more protective gear.”
Biggest Challenge:
Alex says their biggest challenge so far has been connecting with the right suppliers. “It’s tough as a small startup to reach out to these large suppliers who deal with high volume companies.”
Surprises:
Alex learned that all the little things are harder than he thought they’d be. “There’s a lot that goes into product development that I didn’t know about.” One of those little things was simply the dynamic between his company and supplier. “Some are great at replying quickly to emails, while others literally never respond unless you called them directly.” These are the things he’s figuring out.
Funding:
Mach Hockey’s funding has so far been raised through contests. They placed third in the Accelerate Michigan competition, earning $3,000. It’s been a hectic process but having a co-founder to bounce ideas off of and help organize things has helped.
The Future:
Alex has high hopes for the product and in 3-5 years, would love to see a whole line of their products in the NHL and AHL.
Advice:
While he’s still a new entrepreneur himself, he would encourage others to never give up. “I’ve hit so many roadblocks and snags with my startup, but I’ve always found a way to overcome them. Sometimes it seems like an impossible feat, but it helps to just sit back, think about it and give it some time. Other times, it helps to talk about it with other people, and you come to a conclusion you would not have gotten on your own.”
