Birmingham’s APEX Pro, a motorsports tech startup, announced the patent for its “Performance Coaching Apparatus” was approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, three years after its filing in 2017.
The apparatus describes how measurements are gathered, filtered, computed and displayed to a driver while on a racetrack, the company said.
Additionally, APEX Pro – based out of Birmingham’s DEFT Venture Studio and focused on helping drivers improve their performance through technology – said it gained seed round funding from an out-of-state angel investor, enabling the company to continue gaining market share and develop new technology.
“Having this patent granted is a huge step for our team,” said APEX Pro cofounder Andrew Rains. “Our team had a vision for the real-time display and executed that vision. This patent speaks to Dr. Austin Gurley’s foresight and innovative mind. The APEX Pro Team is proud to have our technology protected.”
APEX Pro’s success is representative of the strong entrepreneurial community that exists in Birmingham, said Jon Nugent, vice president of innovation and technology at the Birmingham Business Alliance.
“It is exciting to have a company like APEX Pro here in Birmingham,” Nugent said. “The issuance of this patent, coupled with the company’s recent funding event, are significant events for our local entrepreneurial ecosystem. APEX has created superior product solutions that continue to be recognized in the market, and the engineers and designers involved are examples of the world-class professionals here in our community.”