Pounce

What if we added exploration to our workouts?

Performance, the stopwatch, pushing your limits: these are magnificent drivers of our sports practice. Many of us love analyzing our stats after a good run.

But sometimes, the urge to run doesn't come from the need to break a record. It comes from the desire to discover, to get some fresh air, to see new neighborhoods. Pounce was born from a simple question: how can we give as much value to exploration as we do to performance? How can we turn our cities and trails into incredible playgrounds?

We believe physical effort shouldn't just be measured in numbers, but in territories discovered and experiences lived. Sport should no longer be social network, but a social vector of discovery.

The starting point: An idea born on the GR20, with my hiking buddies: Bilal, Fares, Mathias, Hippolyte, Ethan, Anthony et Mathis.

The idea for this project took root on the trails of the GR20, in Corsica.

After days of intense hiking to finish this legendary adventure, a thought struck us: beyond the memories and the fatigue, we would have loved to keep a "certified" trace of this achievement. A small medal, even a virtual one, symbolizing the conquest of this specific path.

That is the essence of Pounce (the momentum, the footprint). The desire to create a space that doesn't replace (actualy) your usual tracking apps, but adds to them to mark the routes you've accomplished with a milestone.

A new way to set goals

Pounce is an emerging project, a laboratory of ideas for those who see sport as a way to discover their environment. Our approach is based on a few simple ideas:

Tangible challenges

We select and create specific routes. The goal isn't to run as fast as possible, but to "complete" an iconic trace, like your city's infrastructure.

Collecting experiences

Eventually, we want each completed route to earn you a certification (badges, points), like a sports travel diary.

A shared "Wall of Fame"

No news feed where we constantly compare ourselves, just a simple honor roll to celebrate those who took up the challenge, each at their own pace.

The first test: Parisian Metros

Today, Pounce is taking its very first steps. To test the concept, we are launching a first urban exploration challenge: the lines of the Paris metro.

Get out of the underground trains, download our tracks, and rediscover Paris by running above Line 1 or Line 6.

If you like the idea, this is just the beginning. We're already imagining what's next: subways in other cities (Lyon...), cycling challenges along the Châteaux de la Loire, and of course, the validation of major hiking trails.

The project is in your hands

Pounce is an "MVP" (Minimum Viable Product). It's a first version, free and constantly evolving.

Because this project was designed for amateur athletes and curious minds, your feedback is essential to decide what happens next.

Does the idea resonate with you? Is there a game-changing feature missing? Would you like to see a specific challenge created near you?

Tell us what you think