Universal Speed Rating
Universal Speed Rating is a speed testing and analytics SaaS platform that scores athletes across Max Velocity, Acceleration, Change of Direction, and Power, serving private performance coaches, facilities, schools, clubs, and teams through a network of 200+ certified Speed Lab partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersGrand Rapids, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Universal Speed Rating does
Universal Speed Rating (USR) is a US-based, private speed testing and analytics SaaS platform founded in 2020 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company provides a web and mobile application that measures athlete speed across four categories — Max Velocity, Acceleration, Change of Direction, and Power — and issues each athlete a verified, nationally comparable Speed Lab Profile and USR Score. Core technology integrates with VALD SmartSpeed Timing Gates and Output Sports for hardware-based data capture, eliminating manual entry; the platform was co-founded by Les Spellman, Todd Buchner (CEO), and Drew Zwiers (COO), with scientific governance provided by the Speed Science Institute led by Ken Clark Ph.D. and Peter Ruppe (formerly of Nike SPARQ).
The company monetizes primarily through a Speed Lab certification and subscription program in which private performance coaches, facility owners, schools, clubs, and teams pay recurring (quote-based) fees for platform access, custom assessments, branded reports, the USR Level 1 certification, education resources, and dedicated Speed Consultant support. Secondary revenue includes a $25 per-unit USR Showcase Video Analysis service (frame-by-frame sprint breakdown by Dr. Ken Clark) and premium add-ons such as Spellman Education, Tony Holler's Feed the Cats Report, and marketing support via Athlete Lead Engine. Go-to-market combines community-led referrals across 200+ certified Speed Lab partners with enterprise-style direct sales onboarding (customized implementation plans, dedicated Customer Success Managers), and channel distribution through event partnerships (Prep Network, Prep Redzone, iFlag, PLL Combine, Tracking Football) and the Athletes Acceleration franchise network.
The business has scaled from 100 Speed Labs in mid-2024 to 200+ by late 2025, with 100,000+ athletes tested and 750,000+ assessments recorded on the platform. USR appears to be bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, and operates as a horizontal segmentation play targeting SMB performance facilities as its primary buyer persona alongside schools, clubs, and teams as a secondary segment.
Universal Speed Rating firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Universal Speed Rating
- Legal name
- The Universal Standard For Rating Speed
- Website
- https://universalspeedrating.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Universal Speed Rating is a speed testing and analytics SaaS platform that scores athletes across Max Velocity, Acceleration, Change of Direction, and Power, serving private performance coaches, facilities, schools, clubs, and teams through a network of 200+ certified Speed Lab partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Universal Speed Rating industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Performance Analytics Software
- NAICS
- Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Athlete Testing & Combine Prep (metrics, scouting prep) (HSADAEAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Performance Analysis & Video Coaching (HSADAEAG), Strength & Conditioning / Athletic Performance Training (HSADAEAB)
Keywords
Where Universal Speed Rating is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grand Rapids
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Universal Speed Rating business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Speed Lab Partnership / SaaS Subscription: Performance coaches and facilities pay to become certified USR Speed Labs, gaining access to the platform (web + mobile), custom assessments, branded reports, community leaderboards, USR Level 1 Certification, education resources, onboarding support, and a dedicated Speed Consultant. The program includes tiered add-ons such as Performance Reports, Feed the Cats Report, sport-specific evaluations, dedicated Customer Success Manager, and marketing support via Athlete Lead Engine. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.
- USR Showcase Video Analysis (Add-on): Athletes at USR Showcases can purchase an individual frame-by-frame sprint analysis by Dr. Ken Clark for $25 per session, providing one-off revenue from end athletes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | USR Core Features - Free |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | USR Showcase Video Analysis - $25 per session |
| Subscription | Monthly | Custom Add-Ons (Performance Reports, Feed the Cats Report, Sport-Specific Evaluations) |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium Business Add-Ons (7-Figure Course, Spellman Education, Dedicated Consultant) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Marketing Add-Ons (via Athlete Lead Engine) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels8 records
Universal Speed Rating product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Universal Speed Rating operates a speed testing and analytics SaaS platform (web + mobile app) that measures athlete speed across four standardized categories — Max Velocity, Acceleration, Change of Direction, and Power — and issues a nationally verified USR Score. The platform integrates with VALD SmartSpeed Timing Gates and Output Sports hardware to capture testing data, and is sold through a certified Speed Lab partner network that includes performance coaches, schools, clubs, and teams.
Product overview
Universal Speed Rating is a speed testing and analytics SaaS platform built for performance coaches, facilities, schools, and teams. The core offering is the Universal Speed Rating Platform, which scores athletes across four categories—Max Velocity, Acceleration, Change of Direction, and Power—using data from certified Speed Lab assessments, producing a verified USR rating for national ranking. The platform is extended by the Speed Lab Program, a certified partner network that provides coaches with the USR platform, Level 1 Certification, community, education, and the ability to run USR Showcases. Additional modules include the Speed Science Institute (scientific governing body), the USR Showcase Video Analysis add-on (biomechanical sprint analysis by Dr. Ken Clark), and integrations with VALD SmartSpeed timing gates, Output Sports testing hardware, and PushPress gym management software. The Athletes Acceleration franchise network also embeds USR as its required data platform across all locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Speed Lab: Network of certified performance coach facilities that use the Universal Speed Rating system for standardized speed testing and athlete assessment.
- Speed Science Institute
Products and services
- Universal Speed Rating Platform (Web + Mobile App) SaaS platform (web + mobile) that measures athlete speed across four standardized categories (Max Velocity, Acceleration, Change of Direction, Power), produces a verified USR Score, and enables branded reports, leaderboards, and historical comparisons. Built for performance coaches, schools, clubs, and teams.
- Speed Lab Program Subscription-based certified partner program for performance coaches and facilities. Speed Labs receive platform access, USR Level 1 Certification, assessments, branded reports, education resources, monthly education calls, the Speed Lab Summit, and a dedicated Speed Consultant and Customer Success Manager.
- USR Level 1 Certification Baseline certification program designed for performance coaches to learn how to train and test speed using the USR system, integrating the methodology of Tony Holler (Feed the Cats).
- USR Showcase Video Analysis Premium add-on service where athletes submit sprint video from a USR Showcase for frame-by-frame biomechanical analysis by Dr. Ken Clark. Priced at $25 per analysis.
Quantifiable outcome
- Athletes typically improve 1-3 MPH in 6-8 week training cycles
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Universal Speed Rating
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Universal Speed Rating technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature6 records
Universal Speed Rating partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, supporting and core.
- Athletes AccelerationflagshipAthletes Acceleration (founded by Graham Wilkerson, formerly Genesis Performance) is a sports performance franchise network. USR serves as the official performance data and athlete benchmarking platform inside every Athletes Acceleration location, built directly into the training methodology from launch. USR is the required standard across all franchise locations.
- Speed Science InstituteflagshipThe Speed Science Institute is USR's governing body for developing, interpreting, and teaching coaches to use performance data. Founding members: Dr. Ken Clark (Executive Sports Scientist, Ph.D. in Applied Physiology and Biomechanics, biomechanical consultant for USA Track and Field) and Peter Ruppe (Executive Director, 20+ years at Nike, founding leader of Nike SPARQ).
- Tracking FootballsupportingTracking Football is one of the leading independent football data and scouting services, serving 150+ FBS programs, NFL teams, and sports agencies. Platform is used by 90%+ of Power 4 football programs, 100+ additional NCAA programs, and a dozen NFL teams. Tracking Football sponsors USR events, aligning around shared belief in trusted evaluation and data-driven athlete development.
- PLL Play (Premier Lacrosse League)coreUSR has powered the performance side of the PLL Combine for three years, testing elite high school lacrosse athletes. Testing is led by Speed Lab coaches Jose Catano and Marcus Block. Assessments include broad jump, 5-10-5, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, MPH, 0-10 acceleration, bench press, and serpentine. A public PLL Combine Leaderboard allows athletes to compare results across years.
- Prep NetworkcoreNational partnership with Prep Network to deliver verified athletic testing at 100+ showcase events in 2026. USR's Speed Lab Community executes testing on-site. Performance data integrates directly into Prep Redzone athlete profiles. More than 7,500 athletes expected to test in 2026. Events include laser-timed 40 Yard Dash and Pro Shuttle (5-10-5).
- iFlag (formerly USA Flag)coreUSR partners with iFlag to bring verified athletic performance testing to flag football events, one of the fastest-growing sports. The partnership launches at two major iFlag tournaments in 2026: Rocky Top Bowl (April 25-26, Gatlinburg, TN) and Memorial Bowl (May 22-24, Dallas, TX). Athletes receive the iFlag Combine testing experience with verified metrics and national benchmarks.
- Prep RedzonecorePrep Redzone partnership brings standardized performance testing to 31 Stock Up Showcase events nationwide throughout 2025-2026. Athletes compete across 40 Yard Dash, Pro Shuttle, Broad Jump, and L Drill. Results populate the Prep Redzone x USR Leaderboard, allowing athletes to compare against peers nationwide. Select showcases feature on-site USR Speed Labs.
- Athlete Lead EnginesupportingAthlete Lead Engine is a marketing agency founded by Graham Wilkerson (Midwest Speed Lab Director) that helps sports performance businesses create effective marketing plans. Services include paid ads, brand awareness, lead follow-up automation, and systematic lead tracking. USR offers this as a custom add-on for Speed Lab coaches looking to grow their business.
- Tony Holler / Feed the CatscoreTony Holler, founder of Feed the Cats and Head Track Coach at Plainfield North High School, partnered with USR to teach coaches the 'Record, Rank, Publish' framework via the USR platform. Tony co-created the USR Level 1 certification. His 40+ years of coaching experience and proven speed training methodology are integrated into USR's educational resources.
- Onyx ElitesupportingOnyx Elite is a private performance facility in Richmond, VA backed by former USA soccer star Oguchi Onyewu and trainer Chris Gorres. Became a Certified USR Speed Lab in May 2023 with a longer-term partnership to spread the USR mission in the Northeast. Onyx staff are USR Level 1 Certified and conduct verified assessments at national events.
- VALD PerformancecoreVALD SmartSpeed Timing Gates are the preferred timing system for USR assessments. They auto-feed data into the USR platform, eliminating manual entry. VALD SmartSpeed supports Fly 10 Assessments, Speed Lab reports, and large/small group testing. Features include rechargeable battery packs, 360-degree LED display, and mobile app integration.
- Output SportssupportingOutput Sports is a versatile testing tool enabling coaches to monitor, program, measure, and provide feedback on athletes. It supports jumps, VBT (velocity-based training), mobility, RSI, and more with real-time leaderboards and instant reporting. USR recommends it for performance facilities looking to expand testing capabilities.
- PushPresssupportingPushPress is a gym management platform recommended by USR for performance facilities. It handles scheduling, memberships, billing, and check-ins, allowing coaches to focus on coaching and growing their business. USR offers a discount off the first 6 months for USR-affiliated coaches.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Universal Speed Rating competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Playermaker: Playermaker is a soccer-focused smart wearable that measures speed, kicks, and workload for players — partial overlap with USR's speed analytics, but focused on a single sport and a different go-to-market (consumer/team wearables).
Direct peers
- Output Sports: Output Sports provides a versatile sensor-based testing platform for jumps, VBT, mobility, and RSI with real-time leaderboards — a current USR technology partner addressing the same speed/power testing market as USR.
- STATSports: STATSports provides GPS-based athlete tracking and performance analytics primarily for team sports, directly comparable to USR's focus on standardized athletic assessment data used by coaches to benchmark and improve athlete performance.
- Catapult Sports: Catapult provides athlete monitoring hardware and analytics for professional and collegiate teams, with comparable athlete performance tracking and benchmarking — a larger, well-capitalized competitor in the sports performance analytics category.
- VALD Performance: VALD makes timing gates (SmartSpeed) and force plates plus analytics software used by performance coaches to test and track athletes — directly overlapping with USR's testing and benchmarking workflow, and a current USR integration partner.
- KinaTrax: KinaTrax delivers markerless motion-capture analytics for athletes, offering biomechanical breakdown and benchmarking for performance coaches — a comparable position in the sports performance analytics stack with similar data-driven athlete assessment value proposition.
- Hawkin Dynamics: Hawkin Dynamics builds force plate hardware and analytics software for athletic performance testing — addressing the same coaches/performance facilities as USR and competing for the same speed, power, and change-of-direction assessment use cases.
Broad incumbents
- WHOOP: WHOOP offers wearable-based performance, strain, and recovery tracking for athletes, overlapping with USR's athlete-data thesis but at a much broader consumer scale and with deeper capital — a broad incumbent with adjacent athletic performance analytics.
- Garmin: Garmin's fitness and sport watches (with Connect ecosystem) capture speed, acceleration, and power data for millions of athletes — a broad incumbent in athlete tracking that could compress USR's specialized speed-benchmark offering through wearables-based convenience.
Others
- PushPress: PushPress is a gym management platform for performance facilities (scheduling, billing, memberships) and a USR technology partner — adjacent rather than competitive, providing operational software to the same coach customer base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Universal Speed Rating social profiles
Digital presenceUniversal Speed Rating financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Universal Speed Rating leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Universal Speed Rating funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Universal Speed Rating M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Universal Speed Rating
What does Universal Speed Rating do?
Universal Speed Rating operates a speed testing and analytics SaaS platform (web + mobile app) that measures athlete speed across four standardized categories — Max Velocity, Acceleration, Change of Direction, and Power — and issues a nationally verified USR Score. The platform integrates with VALD SmartSpeed Timing Gates and Output Sports hardware to capture testing data, and is sold through a certified Speed Lab partner network that includes performance coaches, schools, clubs, and teams.
Is Universal Speed Rating a public or private company?
Universal Speed Rating is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Universal Speed Rating founded?
Universal Speed Rating was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Universal Speed Rating based?
Universal Speed Rating is headquartered in Grand Rapids, United States, in the North America region.
How does Universal Speed Rating make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Speed Lab Partnership / SaaS Subscription is the primary driver. The others are USR Showcase Video Analysis (Add-on).
Who are Universal Speed Rating's main competitors?
Playermaker is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Output Sports, STATSports, Catapult Sports, VALD Performance, KinaTrax and Hawkin Dynamics. Broad incumbents are WHOOP and Garmin. PushPress is listed as an others.
Does Universal Speed Rating have an API?
No public API is recorded for Universal Speed Rating.
What industry is Universal Speed Rating in?
Universal Speed Rating's product category is Sports Performance Analytics Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADAEAK, Athlete Testing & Combine Prep (metrics, scouting prep), with a secondary code of HSADAEAG, Performance Analysis & Video Coaching. Its NAICS code is 71394 and its SIC code is 7990.