The Antix app helps riders film their session, auto-edit the best bits, playback highlights and upload it all to social media to receive plaudits from their peers. Managing director Adam Theobald explains how he came up with the idea, how he created the business and what he plans to do next.

How did you get into this business?

I’ve been into extreme sports ever since I can remember. It’s always been a dream of mine to build a business in an industry that I love. Antix actually began as a side project to my other business in software development and big data. But it soon became apparent that we were building a great product and I decided to take it to the next level.

Why did you think there was a need for a business like this?

It was actually a problem I faced myself when kiteboarding. I’d just landed this awesome trick and wanted to show if off to my friends, but by the time I had spent 10 minutes trying to locate it in my video footage they were bored! I not only came across many people who faced the same issue, but noticed that brands needed a solution to video editing too.

How did you start it and establish a toe-hold?

Partnerships with brands and riders were key. We made sure we were on the ground talking to as many people as possible. This helped us with everything from product testing to user adoption and organic, word-of-mouth, growth.

The relationships we have built in the industry are really important. It does help when you have a great product that people and brands actively want to use and be a part of.

There is no-one solving the editing problem the way we are, so I’d say we don’t have any direct competitor at the moment. However, the technology space moves so quickly that you can’t afford to be complacent. We’re developing and expanding rapidly right now.

Adam Theobald's Antix app speads up the editing process and helps extreme sports enthusiasts show-off their tricks

What separates successful startups from those that don’t make it?

A great team is vital. Nobody can build a business by themselves so it’s important to have a passionate team behind you. Don’t be scared of hiring people smarter than you and always lead by example.

How do you add to people’s action sport experience?

Action sports people inherently love to capture what they are doing. I love to show my friends a new trick that I've landed snowboarding. Antix makes it incredibly simple to get the best bits of a session straight out to your friends. There’s no need to sit behind a computer to edit the best parts out, you can do it straight from the chairlift!

What’s the most important quality to being an entrepreneur?

Determination. I always believed what I wanted to achieve was possible even when others might have doubted it.

Is this an industry ripe for a shake up?

Absolutely. The extreme sports industry isn’t as advanced in technology as you may think. We’ve seen a revolution with action cameras and now drones. All these technologies which make capturing content so easy, mean that the sheer volume of content being created is immense and growing rapidly.

With literally millions of hours of content being created year on year, finding a way to algorithmically sort through it and extract the most compelling parts is a huge and growing opportunity and one that also has numerous future vertical use cases which we’re currently exploring.

What’s the biggest challenge you have faced so far?

Finding the right people who share the same dream and who aspire to create brilliant and disruptive products that solve real problems.

How much scope has this business to grow and what are your plans for it?

The scope is enormous. The extreme sports industry is enormous and it’s growing. If in doubt, just take a look at the incredible rise of the industry's super brands like GoPro and Redbull.

We believe that, with the experience the Antix platform is able to provide action sports enthusiasts, at every level of the industry, we have the potential to see similar levels of growth as these landmark companies. However, extreme sports is also just starting point for us. We’re developing technology that can shape the way video is consumed in many other industries.

What’s your best tip for others looking to build their own business?

If you have an idea then go for it. Don’t get too bogged down in empirical research on your market. Your idea may not be perfect, but the chances are that something close to your idea might well be. You’ll undoubtedly learn a lot on the journey and adapt your business numerous times before ultimately making it successful.