The Game-Changing Basketball Shooting Machine from GRIND
Anyone who’s witnessed even just a minute of basketball knows how important accuracy is in sinking shots on the court. One Houston startup has developed a device to help practice make perfect in a game.
The Birth of GRIND’s Portable Basketball Shooting Machine
GRIND’s portable basketball shooting machine, the first of its kind, was created by founder and CEO Thomas Fields, a former basketball phenom at Houston’s Reagan High School (now Heights High School). Fields’ passion for basketball began at an early age, and he spent countless hours honing his skills on the court.
"I remember being on varsity as a freshman and shooting thousands of shots every day trying to be the best," says Fields. "My school bought a shooting machine, but they never let me use it. It was a game-changing piece of equipment, and I didn’t even have access because the gyms were always closed or closing."
A Solution to the Problem of Rebounds
In addition to developing the shooting machine, Fields identified another major challenge facing young athletes: getting access to rebounds. "And another major problem was getting your rebounds, so we set out to make a portable basketball rebounding machine, so you could take it anywhere like home, the park, or the gym. It was also important to make it affordable, too."
The GRIND Shooting Machine
The GRIND shooting machine is designed to be portable, lightweight, and easy to set up. At just 110 pounds, it’s 54 percent lighter than other home shooting machines, with a 12-foot net and a quick setup time of just 90 seconds.
Expanding the Reach of GRIND
With the success of the shooting machine, GRIND is now looking to expand its reach and customer base. "Our portable shooting machine has been on the market for about three, four years now," says Fields. "So now it’s time to kind of accelerate the growth, and that’s pretty exciting. We really have our sights on NBA Africa for a partnership there. Another one is Adidas; we are collaborating with them right now and they’re also one of the sponsors of Black Hat Mission. And hopefully, we would like to land some NBA guys to invest and really get behind our sportstech company, but also make a significant impact in the community by getting kids into tech through sports."
A Partnership with Black Ambition
GRIND recently won second place in a competition from Black Ambition, an organization founded by Pharrell Williams. With the tagline, “Uninterrupted ambition. Unmatched impact,” the Black Ambition Prize celebrates underrepresented founders globally.
"When I initially heard of Black Ambition, I just kind of heard that Pharrell had started a venture fund aimed at uplifting black and brown entrepreneurs," says Fields. "And when I read more about it, I realized that their mission perfectly aligned with GRIND. Our goal is to try to get kids into tech and STEM, but use sports as the conduit and the bridge to get them there. We applied for the million-dollar cash prize for first place, but took second place, which is a $250,000 investment in the company. So now that Pharrell and Black Ambition are behind us, we are going out and raising some more capital to hit that hyper stage that we’re going into. We are launching our software next year and our hardware has really been growing."
A Future in Sportstech
As a startup, GRIND represents the continued uptick with sportstech innovation in Houston. "We want to revolutionize the world of sports equipment by leveraging cutting edge technology by developing sports equipment that can seamlessly connect to software, enhancing athletic performance, and pushing athletes to achieve their peak potential," says Fields.
The Future of GRIND
As GRIND continues to push forward and expand its footprint, it’s also looking to expand its customer base. "I think the target users are middle school and high school athletes," says Fields. "These are the kids that are striving to be great athletes and striving to get into college. We also have colleges that have our product, as well. But mostly, the customer is the parents of those athletes. That’s really who we’re trying to get excited.
"And then, of course, there are the coaches and trainers. They own gyms; they own organizations and need equipment for their schools and universities. That’s another target customer of ours for sure."
Conclusion
GRIND’s mission to get kids into tech and STEM through sports is an exciting one, and with the support of Black Ambition and other partners, the future looks bright for this Houston-based startup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is GRIND’s goal?
A: GRIND’s goal is to get kids into tech and STEM through sports.
Q: What is the GRIND shooting machine?
A: The GRIND shooting machine is a portable, lightweight, and easy-to-set-up basketball shooting machine designed to help athletes improve their shooting skills.
Q: What is Black Ambition?
A: Black Ambition is an organization founded by Pharrell Williams that celebrates underrepresented founders globally.
Q: What is GRIND’s plan for the future?
A: GRIND plans to continue to expand its customer base, launch its software next year, and grow its hardware business.
