May 13, 2026Betterguards acquires wearable sports tech company
Betterguards, a sports technology company focused on injury prevention and recovery, has acquired Nextiles, a materials science and wearable sports technology company that merges flexible electronics with soft goods to create a data analytics platform that measures movement.
According to Betterguards, the acquisition marks a milestone in its mission to deliver science-backed protection and performance technology to athletes worldwide. As part of the move, Nextiles founder and CEO George Sun will join Betterguards as chief technology officer.
“Betterguards has always believed the future of athlete health is built at the intersection of science and intelligent design,” CEO Tony Verutti said in a news release. “Bringing Nextiles and George into our ecosystem will redefine how the industry approaches injury prevention and recovery.”
Nextiles combines patented fabric-based sewing technology with data insights to quantify raw forces, range of motion and micromovements. Its research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the United States military, helping pioneer delivering artificial intelligence-powered wearables to teams, training facilities and medical professionals.
The integration of Nextiles and Betterguards will create a new wearables ecosystem and data platform designed to unlock capabilities across injury prevention, athlete recovery and performance monitoring.
The companies were elected for the NBA Launchpad program in 2022, a recognition their leadership says reflects the program’s power to cultivate, connect and accelerate companies in sports technology.
“Betterguards has built something truly unique and it’s trusted at the highest levels of professional sport combined with a world-class team that is deeply committed to the science behind it,” Sun said. “By bringing Nextiles into that ecosystem, we have a real opportunity to unlock biomechanical insights that will forever change how athletes train and recover for years to come.”
