Tech Startups Looking to Disrupt the Outdoor Activities and Adventure Market
by Startacus Admin
From helping you to find activities, to giving you the ability to plan your own, to connecting you with like-minded adventurers, here are some startups using technology to disrupt the outdoor activities and adventure market.
The outdoor activities and adventure startup space attracted a lot of attention in 2017 in terms of investment, growth, and startup launches. It continues to attract many disruptive startups looking to make their mark on the outdoors (in a figurative, eco-friendly way). From helping you to find activities, to giving you the ability to plan your own, to connecting you with like-minded adventurers, here are some tech startups (some early-stage, some more established) using technology to disrupt the outdoor activities and adventure market.
FATMAP
FATMAP is like Google Earth, but more detailed. Whether you are hiking, biking, climbing, or skiing, it was built to help people plan adventures in more 
detail, safely. FATMAP has teamed up with local experts in many locations all over the world to provide detailed guides. With accurate readings of gradient, altitude, and even avalanche zones, this could become a vital app for adventurers.
eola
eola is a platform for discovering new adventures all over the world (starting with the UK and Ireland). Whether you are interested in surfing, kiteboarding, stand-up paddling, quad biking, horse-ing, or other fun activities you perhaps haven’t even heard of, you can find somewhere near you to give it a go. eola was one of the startups to pitch for upSTART ‘18, and it was good to hear them talk about their product.
Go Jauntly
We wrote about Webby award nominee Go Jauntly last year, before they launched. Backed by Ordnance Survey’s Geovation fund, this app helps you to find nearby walks, with points of interest and things like places to eat or toilets. Create your own walks, complete with pictures, to share with the Go Jauntly community, and start getting healthier.
Much Better Adventures
Much Better Adventures is similar to eola, in that it is a platform to find all kinds of adventures and book them in one place; however, this one is specifically for adventure holidays. Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, South America...there are multitudes of adventures to be had all over the world, from hiking to climbing to diving to kayaking to [insert 100 activities]. Voted the UK’s ‘Best for Experiences’ in 2016, Much Better Adventures offers award-winning adventure holidays that will spark your thirst for adventure just by seeing them on the site.
The Mantis
Casta Spes Technologies (CST) are developing a new ground-based remote-control vehicle, called the Mantis, with reportedly the manoeuvrability of an aerial drone and accessibility of a traditional RC car. Developed as a Revolutionary Camera Platform (RCP) with self-stabilising capabilities, the device remains upright while overcoming rough terrain, while maintaining stable 360-degree footage from a low-angle perspective for up to 3 hours. CST was another to pitch at upSTART ‘18. We are lovin' the sound of it!
StokeShare
StokeShare is a social platform that allows people to connect with others interested in adventures and the outdoors in general, find equipment to rent rather than having to buy your own, share stories, organise events, and be a part of getting young people interested in outdoor activities. Own less, do more.
Adrenaline Hunter
For the even more adventurous, Adrenaline Hunter is a platform for discovering some of the more adrenaline-pumping adventure sports. Skydiving, paragliding, bungee jumping, shark diving, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and many other activities can be found and booked through Adrenaline Hunter.
Kompas
We have written about the Kompas App a good few times before, and they came in the top 5 finalists at upSTART ‘17. While other startups here offer 
some of the more wild adventures to be found in the far reaches of the world, Kompass helps you to create your own little adventure right in your own neighbourhood. The app is all about helping you to discover hidden gems locally, using machine learning to personalise adventures for you. Whether you just want to wander the hidden places of your town or climb in a castle, Kompass is a good place to start.
This article comes with a caution: if you visit these sites, you will need to get up and move around. Less than halfway through writing, wanderlust knocked on our office door and let itself in.
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Published on: 29th June 2018
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- ESTHER set for success with New York prize 24th Jun 2019 ESTHER, a pocket-to-pocket giving app which allows a user to give directly to an individual living in poverty, wins an all-expenses paid trip to New York.
- Experiential learning initiative mTech.Academy to build on year 1 success 20th Jun 2019 NI experiential learning initiative mTech.Academy announces plans to expand it's programme for the 2019/20 academic year.
- Stashbee announces £1.6m funding round on Seedrs 17th Jun 2019 Stashbee, the online sharing-economy platform for storage space, has announced a £1.6m funding round on leading European investment platform Seedrs.
- The upSTART finalists at Digital DNA 2019 13th Jun 2019 upSTART, the startup pitch competition at Digital DNA 2019 will see over 20 disruptive NI-based startups pitch to determine who will win an all-expenses paid trip to explore the New York tech scene.
