University of Michigan Human Performance & Sport Science Center

What University of Michigan Human Performance & Sport Science Center does

The University of Michigan Human Performance & Sport Science Center (HPSSC) is a cross-disciplinary university research and education entity based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 2016 originally as the Exercise & Sport Science Initiative (ESSI) and later rebranded, the center coordinates human performance and sport science activity across 19 schools and colleges at U-M. It serves thousands of athletes across age and ability levels, spanning U-M varsity athletes, students, youth, and community participants, and operates as a translational bridge between academic research and applied sport performance.

The center's core programs include the Athlete Innovation Initiative and the HPSSC Athlete Innovation Lab (HAIL), supported by co-directors Kenneth Kozloff and Ron Zernicke and managing director Susan Rinaldi. It has developed 3 new undergraduate courses and executes 10+ major industry research contracts. Operational partnerships include the U-M School of Kinesiology, Michigan Medicine Orthopaedic Surgery, Michigan Athletics, the Global Sports University Network (GSUN), and the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, the last of which awarded $1.7M in seed funding in 2024.

HPSSC does not operate a commercial revenue model. Funding derives from University of Michigan appropriations (originally sourced from the VP Research, Provost, and Athletic Director), seed and alliance funding from Wu Tsai, and sponsored industry research contracts. With a staff of approximately 9 employees, the center functions as a coordinating, translational research body rather than a revenue-generating enterprise.

Name

University of Michigan Human Performance & Sport Science Center

Legal name

Human Performance & Sport Science Center

Website

https://hpssc.umich.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The University of Michigan Human Performance & Sport Science Center is a cross-disciplinary university research and education hub spanning 19 schools and colleges, conducting sport science and human performance research and serving athletes of all ages and abilities through programs including HAIL and the Athlete Innovation Initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Human Performance & Sport Science Center (HPSSC) is a university-based research and education center that coordinates multidisciplinary sport science research, delivers undergraduate coursework, and runs experiential learning programs such as the Athlete Innovation Initiative and HPSSC Athlete Innovation Lab (HAIL). It connects faculty experts, industry partners, students, and athletes to develop new approaches to optimizing individual and team performance.

Product overview

The Human Performance & Sport Science Center (HPSSC) is a university research and education coordination center, not a commercial software product. It offers a unified platform of programs including the Athlete Innovation Initiative and the HPSSC Athlete Innovation Lab (HAIL), which together provide experiential learning opportunities, research coordination, and industry collaboration for optimizing human performance and health across all ages and abilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HPSSC Athlete Innovation Lab (HAIL): Student experiential learning initiative focused on athlete innovation.

Products and services

• Athlete Innovation Initiative

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 new undergraduate courses developed for human performance and sport science education
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• School of KinesiologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe School of Kinesiology is the home department for HPSSC, providing primary academic infrastructure, faculty expertise, and administrative support for the center's research and education programs.
• Michigan Medicine Orthopaedic SurgerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical school department providing clinical expertise and research collaboration in orthopaedic surgery, supporting the intersection of sport science and medical treatment.
• Michigan AthleticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity athletic department providing access to thousands of athletes, facilities, and real-world sport science application opportunities. Quote from AD Warde Manuel emphasizes value: 'This is a great opportunity for our coaches, trainers, and student athletes to work with faculty and industry partners.'
• Global Sport University Network (GSUN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of universities focused on sport research and education, expanding HPSSC's reach beyond the University of Michigan to global sport science community.
• Wu Tsai Human Performance AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor alliance supporting human performance research, hosting events like virtual forums on monitoring hormones in female athletes and facilitating knowledge sharing across institutions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Loughborough University School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences: Leading UK academic institution focused on sport and exercise science research, a fellow GSUN member; directly comparable as an academic sport science research and education hub.
• Australian Catholic University Exercise and Nutrition Research Program: Academic research program (led by Dr. Louise Burke) in sports nutrition and exercise science; directly comparable given HPSSC has hosted Burke as a visiting scholar and partners on knowledge exchange.
• University of Oregon Bowerman Sports Science Center: University-based sport science research and athlete performance center housed at Oregon; directly comparable in mission (integrated athlete testing, research, education) and serves a similar Division I athletics population.
• University of Notre Dame Human Performance Lab: Notre Dame-affiliated sport science research and athlete performance facility; directly comparable as a university research center embedded within Division I athletics.
• Stanford Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance: Stanford-led alliance of which HPSSC is a member; coordinates cross-institution human performance research and education through shared events and visiting scholars, directly overlapping HPSSC's research and educational mission.

Broad incumbents

• Catapult Sports: Publicly traded athlete tracking and performance analytics company serving elite sports organizations; serves the same end customers (teams, athletes) with technology products that complement academic human performance research.
• Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI): PepsiCo-owned commercial sport science research and education organization with global reach; overlaps with HPSSC on athlete hydration, fueling, and performance research but operates at a much larger scale and with broader commercial resources.
• WHOOP: Wearable human performance and recovery technology company; overlapping athlete monitoring and recovery research domain with HPSSC's human performance focus, but operating commercially at consumer scale.

Emerging players

• Orreco: Athlete biomarker analytics and data science company focused on female athlete health, recovery, and performance; partially overlaps with HPSSC's research areas (e.g., hormonal monitoring in female athletes) and serves professional sports clients.

Others

• Polar Electro: Sports wearable hardware and physiological measurement company; provides measurement infrastructure that intersects with academic sport science research like HPSSC's, but is a device vendor rather than a research peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-michigan-human-performance-sport-science-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Michigan Human Performance & Sport Science Center