26-03-2025
The Shift: Hightag puts riders in the frame
Jonathan de la Fuente's "aha moment" was on a family snowboarding trip.
"We went to dinner afterwards, and everybody was talking about how much of a great day they had," he told me. "And I realized … there was no proof that I was even on this trip with them, because I was behind the camera."
📷 The big picture: He founded Hightag with brother Alex de la Fuente so he could get in front of the camera.
🔧 How it works: On trails where the company has agreements, cameras are installed to strategically snap the best action.
A subscription service, available with day pass ($7) or annual membership ($70), gives users a radio frequency identification tag to wear or attach to their equipment.
This triggers cameras as the rider/skier/runner approaches, and users can then access photos and videos from a mobile app.
What they're saying:"I have massively enjoyed using Hightag to document [my mountain bike] progression," Cass Crews with Heartland Forward told me.
"Every few weeks, I'll ride my favorite trails with Hightag cameras to capture improvements in body positioning and style."
Pro athletes who train others use Hightag as a coaching tool, Alex de la Fuente said. And they see themselves as content creators as well as athletes, so the system gives them great images to use, he added.
Between the lines: The pair relocated to Bentonville about two years ago to foster the company using the area's cycling infrastructure as a test case.
Hightag raised $200,000 from an accelerator program, friends and family in early 2023, Alex de la Fuente told me.
They're in the middle of a "rolling close" on another $500,000, which includes an investment from Washington state-based REI Co-op.
Using the Republic platform, the brothers plan to launch a crowdfunding campaign in the near future.
🔎 The intrigue: More than just gearheads, the brothers point out that every share of a Hightag photo on social media is roughly equal to the trail owner/operator getting $5 worth of marketing to their venue.
What's next: Since it was the genesis for the idea, skiing seems to be the next logical fit. They recently spent a week in Park City, Utah, working on a test with a ski resort.
They're hopeful they can work out an agreement, and see possibilities in all sorts of sports.
"The number one question we get — especially from investors — is: could this work for golf?" Alex de la Fuente said.
🚵♀️ The Shift is a regular feature to catch up quick on what's happening in Arkansas' economy and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
