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6 n e w h a v e n B I Z | M a r c h 2 0 2 3 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m S t a r t u p s , T e c h n o l o g y & I n n o v a t i o n By Jordan Grice I n a world where every tenth of a second counts and every inch matters, Milford-based VKTRY Gear says it has found a way to give athletes a com- petitive edge while keeping them healthy. VKTRY makes and sells sport-specific perfor- mance insoles that the company claims helps users run faster, jump higher and stave off injury. Stephen Wasik, CEO, said the company takes a static product and makes it a "dynamic" one. "Even though we are primarily an insole company, what we are is a performance company and we make performance gear," Wasik said. Using a carbon-fiber design, the insoles, dubbed "VKs," return energy created by athletes pushing off the ground to increase their speed and vertical leap, according to the company. VKTRY's products have captured the attention of several pro athletes and elite-level sports teams. According to Wasik, the insoles are being used by more than 200 pro and college teams. e brand has received backing from Louisiana State University's Di- rector of Athletic Training Jack Marucci and now-re- tired Lakers trainer Gary Vitti, among others. VKTRY has been approached by several pro ath- letes offering to be spokespeople. at includes NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb and Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. "When I first put VKTRY Insoles into my cleats, it was an instant boost of explosion, power and speed. Being able to explode out of my cuts with more power helps me separate from a defender," said paid spokesman Taylor, in a 2021 article acknowledging his support of the company. VKTRY Gear employs 14 people out of its 4,000-square-foot facility at 135 Research Dr. in Milford. VKTRY Gear has also done a mix of capital-raising in re- cent years. e company raised $2 million in capital in 2019 and 2021, respectively, which has gone towards driving growth. Wasik indicated that most of the capital was raised from angel investors, many of whom are from Connecticut. While he notes that the company isn't planning to raise capital in 2023, Wasik suggests that future efforts are likely. From Olympics to weekend warriors Wasik and company president Matthew Arciuolo launched VKTRY Gear in 2016, more than a decade aer Arciuolo developed the patented insole. e VK was initially a product Arciuolo created when he worked with Team USA's Olympic bobsled team in 2005. A certified pedorthist (a professional trained to treat foot, ankle and lower extremity conditions with devic- es such as footwear), Arciuolo said he developed the insole to improve speed and explosiveness takeoff by a hundredth-of-a-second. "at can be the difference between a gold medal and a 10th place," said Arciuolo, who believes his in- vention helped the team win gold in Vancouver. Now seven years since its inception, Wasik says the company has blossomed by targeting young athletes, primarily in high school. "e business has really taken off," he said. According to Wasik, VKTRY saw total sales increase more than 40% over the past two years, thanks largely to an increase in traffic to its e-commerce site driven by several viral videos that VKTRY insoles were fea- tured in on social media. Among them is a video of Drew Arciuolo, VKTRY's head of marketing, demonstrating the benefits of using VKs to high school athletes. VKTRY aims to boost athlete performance with shoe technology VKTRY manufactures and sells sport-specific performance insoles. A t A G l a n c e Company: VKTRY Gear Industry: Manufacturing, retail Top Executive: CEO Stephen Wasik HQ: 135 Research Dr., Milford Website: vktrygear.com Contact: 844-468-5879 From left to right, VKTRY CEO Stephen Wasik, NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady and President Matt Arciuolo. PHOTOS | CONTRIBUTED

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