Sports Science Insights

What Sports Science Insights does

Sports Science Insights (SSI) is a privately held boutique consulting firm founded around 2001 by Bob Murray, Ph.D., FACSM, and headquartered at 1213 Autumn Ridge Court in Crystal Lake, Illinois. The firm provides science-based advisory services to consumer and sports-related brands, translating exercise physiology and sports nutrition research into evidence-based business decisions for product development, marketing claim substantiation, and strategic research planning. Its service mix spans advisory board participation, strategic research plan design, expert advisory panel establishment, product claims substantiation, scientific due diligence, white paper authoring, and professional seminar delivery for both scientists and media.

SSI operates a professional services revenue model with quote-based, project-by-project engagements ranging from one-time studies to ongoing advisory relationships. Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: client acquisition flows through Bob Murray's personal network, his 23-year tenure as director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, his Ohio State Ph.D. and FACSM credentials, and his peer-reviewed publication record. The firm reports no proprietary technology platform, no API, and no AI capabilities; its deliverable is human expertise rather than software.

The client base is unusually broad for a 1-10 employee firm, spanning Fortune 100 corporations (The Coca-Cola Company, Nike, GlaxoSmithKline, Powerade/ PepsiCo, Petco), mid-market food and beverage companies (Clif Bar, Vita Coco, National Dairy Council, FoodMinds, DogFish Head Brewery), private equity firms (Gryphon Investors, LNK Partners), professional organizations (American Bone Health, Alliance for Potato Research and Education), and early-stage startups (HOTSHOT, Moji, GoodSport, Food For Sleep, Greater Than Sports Drink). SSI is bootstrapped, founder-controlled, and has no subsidiaries, external investment, or parent entity on record.

Name

Sports Science Insights

Legal name

Sports Science Insights, LLC

Website

https://sportsscienceinsights.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sports Science Insights is a privately held boutique consulting firm founded in 2001 by Bob Murray, Ph.D., FACSM, providing evidence-based sports science and nutrition advisory services to food, beverage, athletic apparel, private equity, and startup clients ranging from two-person ventures to Fortune 100 corporations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Science Consulting

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAKAL

Sports Business Consulting & Advisory (Strategy, Valuation, Due Diligence)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Management & Promotion Services

SECONDARYHSADAFAD

Sports Nutrition & Performance Fueling

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Nutrition Coaching & Weight Management

SECONDARYHLAKALAB

Sports Medicine

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

Keywords

• Sports science consulting
• Exercise physiology advisory
• Product claims substantiation
• Nutrition research consulting
• Scientific due diligence

Headquarters

HQ city

Crystal Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: SSI generates revenue through consulting engagements with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 100 corporations. Services include advisory board participation, strategic research planning, product claim substantiation, scientific due diligence, white paper authoring, and seminar delivery. Engagement types include project-based work and ongoing advisory relationships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sports Science Insights provides science-based consulting services focused on exercise physiology and sports nutrition. The firm helps clients substantiate product claims, design strategic research plans, evaluate new product efficacy, conduct scientific due diligence, and stand up expert advisory panels. It serves clients ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 100 corporations in food, beverage, athletic apparel, and wellness categories.

Product overview

Sports Science Insights (SSI) is a consulting firm that offers a unified suite of science advisory and communication services. The company provides strategic research planning, product claims substantiation, scientific due diligence, white paper authoring, and professional seminars for clients ranging from startups to Fortune 100 corporations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Science Consulting Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful investment decisions supported by evidence-based scientific assessment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gatorade Sports Science InstitutenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer employer of Bob Murray (23 years as director) who now maintains an ongoing relationship with GSSI as a client. This connection provides credibility and industry insight for SSI's consulting practice.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Examine.com: Independent nutrition and supplement research company producing evidence-based analysis of ingredients and products. Comparable in evidence-based nutrition advisory positioning, though delivered through a digital platform rather than pure consulting.
• Nutritionix: Nutrition data and API company serving food service operators, app developers, and brands with verified nutrition information. Comparable as a science-based nutrition data provider to the food and wellness industry, though delivered as a software/data product.

Direct peers

• FoodMinds: Food and nutrition science communications and consulting firm providing strategic counsel, scientific content, and claims support to food, beverage, and supplement brands. Highly comparable in client base, services, and category focus (noted that FoodMinds appears both as a peer and as an SSI client).
• Eat Well Global: Boutique food and nutrition strategy and communications consulting firm serving CPG brands with insights, scientific content, and category expertise. Comparable in size, client mix, and consultative service offering.
• BevSource: Beverage product development and consulting firm supporting startups and established brands with formulation, ingredient sourcing, and claims guidance. Comparable as a boutique advisory to beverage and supplement clients.
• Increnovo: Boutique sports nutrition consulting firm founded by Dr. Doug Kalman offering scientific advisory, ingredient evaluation, and product claim review. Highly comparable to SSI in service mix, client type, and sole-principal operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins Scientific: Global testing, inspection, and certification group with extensive food, beverage, and nutraceutical laboratory services. Comparable as a provider of scientific substantiation services to brands, though vastly larger and broader in scope.
• Kerry Group: Global taste and nutrition ingredient company providing product development, sensory science, and nutrition expertise to food and beverage brands. Comparable as a science-driven partner to F&B brands, though delivering physical ingredients rather than pure advisory.
• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification company with substantial food, beverage, and consumer product testing capabilities. Comparable to SSI as a scientific service provider to F&B and supplement clients, though at vastly greater scale.
• NSF International: Global public health and safety organization offering testing, certification, and scientific services across food, supplements, and nutrition. Comparable as a science-based service provider to supplement and nutrition brands, though primarily testing/certification rather than consulting.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sports-science-insights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sports Science Insights