Friday Night on Caloniuksenkatu

The urge to create something of our own was intoxicating. “What problems exist in the world, and how could we help solve them?” Ideas bounced around for a few Friday evenings in a two-room apartment on Caloniuksenkatu until we found ourselves repeatedly returning to the global physical inactivity crisis. As active participants in everyday exercise, the issue felt personal. At the same time, it seemed that little had been done to tackle this crisis by improving the exercise experience itself.

This led to the idea of a new kind of sports community—one that consolidates all exercise opportunities into a single platform. If we can make the experience of engaging in sports more accessible and increase its perceived value, people will choose physical activity more often instead of spending time on streaming services. So, we got to work.

A $300 billion problem

The media increasingly highlights how people are not exercising enough. First and foremost, exercise is fun, but it also supports physical and mental well-being. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)¹, one-third of adults worldwide do not get enough exercise (the recommendation is 150 minutes of basic physical activity per week). Another WHO study² estimates that the global healthcare costs of increasing inactivity could reach $300 billion this decade. These costs arise as public health declines and the burden on healthcare systems grows.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise when looking at the health benefits of exercise³: it prevents cardiovascular diseases, strengthens bones and muscles, and aids in weight management. Additionally, physical activity releases feel-good hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, which support mental health. When our activity levels decline, so do our chances of enjoying these benefits. If the trend doesn’t reverse, the crisis will have significant negative consequences, such as reduced workforce productivity. Clearly, something must be done.

Why bother?

As relatively active sports enthusiasts, we wholeheartedly endorse the benefits of exercise. It makes you feel good—not just because the body responds positively to exertion but because physical activity is, at its core, something fun to do. However, in today’s society, exercise is often viewed more as a necessary evil than an enjoyable way to spend free time.

Over the past few decades, new, highly accessible forms of entertainment have emerged, making physical activity seem like an effort rather than a source of fun. Meanwhile, social media bombards us with information about what is “right” and “desirable,” which can negatively affect how people perceive exercise. The pressure to stay active and in shape grows, potentially leading to negative workout experiences and, at worst, driving people away from sports altogether. While research on this phenomenon is still limited, it’s worth considering. Nonetheless, we strongly believe that if the experience of engaging in sports is made more approachable and enjoyable, people will exercise more.

”We strongly believe that if the experience of engaging in sports is made more approachable and enjoyable, people will exercise more.”

Juuso Hirsimäki and Thril team

Problem solvers missing

Despite the enormity of the inactivity crisis, effective solutions remain elusive. Public organizations have launched various programs to encourage movement, but we haven’t seen any major success stories. Meanwhile, the private sector has tackled the issue through nutrition innovations—an excellent approach, but not a standalone solution. After all, you can’t yet achieve a ”runner’s high” by taking Ozempic. This means new innovations in sports engagement are needed, likely from private enterprises.

When we began exploring solutions, we compared our experiences in the sports industry to other markets. While you can have anything from a bánh mì to chimney bricks delivered to your home within minutes, playing a game of baseball is nearly impossible unless you know the right people. Additionally, the responsibility for initiating exercise still largely falls on the individual, even though we’re bombarded daily with thousands of stimuli influencing other decisions. Running and cycling have made strides thanks to platforms like Strava, but overall, the sports industry’s marketing efforts are lacking. When we’ve asked companies in the field about this, the response has been consistent: additional support wouldn’t hurt.

Could Thril be the solution?

These observations led to the creation of Thril—a new sports platform designed to bring various exercise options under one roof. On Thril, users can book sessions, join events, or even create their own. Whether you want to play tennis, go bowling, or find your long-lost baseball team, Thril aims to be the solution.

We want to build local communities around the app, making users more aware of the opportunities around them and making it easier to take advantage of them. For businesses, Thril is more than just a marketing channel. With the help of industry entrepreneurs, we’ve developed a comprehensive management system that enables companies to provide an excellent user experience. By integrating both sides of the market, Thril can incorporate a wide range of services, from tournaments to online stores. Explaining our full product vision in words is challenging, so we recommend staying tuned to see what’s coming. But make no mistake—we aim to transform the sports industry in a serious, international, and large-scale way.

Can Thril Solve the Inactivity Crisis Alone? Of course not. At the very least, we need numerous other entrepreneurs offering diverse sports opportunities. But Thril can be part of the solution. If we succeed in making sports experiences more seamless, approachable, and fun, we will have laid the groundwork for solving this crisis.

Thril today

We’ve come a long way from that small apartment on Caloniuksenkatu. The first version of Thril has been launched, and our team has grown from three to seven members. However, the truly exciting phase is just beginning. As our product evolves closer to what we’ve envisioned for over a year, our motivation remains strong. Throughout the spring and summer, Thril will gain a significant number of new features, and hopefully, by the end of the year, users will be enjoying it as we originally intended.

If you’ve read this far and haven’t downloaded Thril yet, go download it now! Thril is available on both the App Store and Google Play. As a user, you can also share ideas and feedback through the links at the bottom of our website. We value all input and have already implemented several user-suggested features! Thril also has a WhatsApp community that provides real-time communication with our development team. You can find the link on our website. If you’re a business interested in how Thril can help you, book a demo or register directly on our B2B website.

Contact information

📞 Phone: +358 50 3068660

📧 Email: info@thril.fi

📍 Address: Fredrikinkatu 14 A 13, 00120 Helsinki, Suomi

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. WHO: Nearly 1.8 billion adults at risk of disease from not doing enough physical activity
2. Harvard Health Publishing: Exercise & Fitness
3. WHO: WHO highlights high cost of physical inactivity in first-ever global report