When Chris Friend rocked up to a Bondi Boardriders comp in 2016, he didn’t expect to stumble across a business idea that would soon power surf and skate comps around the world. But standing in the sand, watching organisers scramble with pens, paper, and spreadsheets, he and his mate Fernando Freire (a surfer and software programmer) had an aha moment over a couple of post-comp beers.

“Fernando said, ‘We could build something better.’ That was the moment we realised there was a gap we could fill,” Chris recalls.

That gap became Liveheats—a sports tech platform revolutionising how action and adventure sports manage competitions. Think live scoring, instant scheduling, and slick dashboards for athletes, all in one digital space. From a scrappy prototype built in three weeks to a platform now used in over 60 countries, Liveheats is living proof that a passion project can go global.

A startup born of surf culture

Chris grew up immersed in surf and surf life saving comps. As an athlete and organiser, he knew first-hand the logistical headaches of running an event.

“These sports have huge participation and real passion behind them, but they’re often seen as niche and lacking digital innovation,” he explains. “The inspiration was all about giving these sports the same world-class digital tools and data as the mainstream ones, so the next generation has the best experience possible.”

Their MVP—minimum viable product—was a simple web app with athlete registration and live scoring. Even in its bare-bones form, it was a game-changer.

“It was the first time grassroots surfing had live scoring—something that had only ever been seen at pro events.”

Going global (Without really trying)

At first, Liveheats was a local solution for Bondi Boardriders. But it didn’t take long for the team to realise their tool solved a universal problem.

“We realised pretty quickly the same issues existed worldwide, especially in smaller and emerging sports communities. Because these places didn’t have the resources for expensive legacy systems, Liveheats took off fast.”

Countries across Asia and South America were some of the earliest adopters, and soon after, Liveheats found itself being used by big-name organisations like USA Surfing, Surf Life Saving Australia, and the Freeride World Tour.

Built by athletes, for athletes

Chris’s time on the comp circuit wasn’t just inspiration—it shaped the product itself.

“When I was competing, I hated having to do the maths to figure out when I’d surf based on PDFs or whiteboards,” he says. “So, we made sure our dashboard showed you exactly when your heat was on, down to the minute.”

This athlete-first thinking is now baked into every aspect of Liveheats.

“It’s about making the experience easier, more efficient, and more engaging for everyone involved.”

What exactly is Liveheats?

At its core, Liveheats is a cloud-based platform built specifically for action and adventure sports. It lets organisers manage comps from start to finish: registrations, heat creation, live scoring, results, and analytics. Athletes and spectators can register, check schedules, track results, and dig into performance data.

“Before Liveheats, running an event meant relying on spreadsheets and PDFs that didn’t really work for anyone,” Chris says. “We’re giving action sports a pro-level experience.”

That means world-class features like real-time scoring, athlete dashboards, and a system built for the unique formats of sports like surfing, skating, snowboarding, and BMX.

The features fans love

For athletes, the instant gratification of seeing scores update live is a massive win.

“For organisers, it’s the all-in-one event setup and schedule management,” Chris says. “They also love how easy it is to update draws and manage results in real-time—it saves them a ton of time and stress.”

And it’s not just bells and whistles. The data is helping athletes improve.

“It’s turning what was once gut feel and anecdote into something measurable and actionable.”

The next step? A dedicated analytics app and a premium subscription tier.

Backed by legends and investors

Liveheats recently secured AU$1.3 million in funding, thanks in part to backing from investors who live and breathe the sports the platform serves.

“A big part of our success in raising funds was that our investors aren’t just businesspeople—they’re also athletes themselves or have kids who compete,” Chris says.

One particularly high-profile backer is surfing legend Joel Parkinson.

“I met Parko during my own days competing,” Chris says. “When he saw what we were building, he was excited about the innovation and keen to contribute.”

Having Parko on board isn’t just validation—it’s a massive vote of confidence.

Scaling from the sand up

So how did a couple of surfers go from grassroots comps to building a global sports tech company?

“In 2022, I moved to the U.S. and spent a lot of time traveling around the U.S. and Europe, building relationships,” Chris says. “I even wrote a list of the key customers I wanted to connect with and just started getting on planes.”

Those in-person convos helped Liveheats spread across borders.

“One of my biggest ‘pinch me’ moments was stumbling across a comp in the Dominican Republic using Liveheats,” he adds. “Another time, Fernando was in remote Sumbawa, Indonesia, and found the local club using our app.”

Growing pains

Of course, scaling from Australia has had its challenges.

“Being so far from major markets like the U.S. and Europe meant it took more work to build relationships,” Chris admits. “But starting in Australia was also a huge advantage—such a strong sports ecosystem helped us build and validate early.”

And if he could go back?

“I’d be more laser-focused on the core features. At times, we tried to build everything or explored projects that weren’t really part of our core.”

Eyes on the Olympics and beyond

With AU$2 million in revenue and a target of AU$10 million by 2028, Liveheats is just getting started.

“We’re expanding our athlete and fan experience with new revenue models like advertising and subscriptions. We’re also moving into endurance sports like ocean swims and runs in 2026,” Chris says. “And yep, we’re working towards powering scoring for the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.”

There’s also an app in the works for athletes and spectators, and a move to make the results site a full-on media hub for action sports.

Startup advice

Chris is quick to share his advice for anyone thinking about building in a niche community or sport:

“Get close to the community you’re building for—understand them inside-out,” he says. “Don’t get caught up in shiny features; solve real problems.”

And when it comes to turning passion into a viable business?

“If you’re genuinely solving a problem that people value enough to pay for, it can definitely flourish into a great business,” he says. “Not every business needs to scale like Canva or Uber—sometimes it’s about building something sustainable and meaningful.”

That’s the Liveheats way: born from the surf, backed by the community, and built to go the distance.

Want to see Liveheats in action or join their community of organisers and athletes? Check out liveheats.com.

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