Story and photos by Joey Garcia, University Communications and Marketing
What began as a typical away game for Mathis Fürst Haugen and the USF men’s soccer team took an unexpected turn when a severe dehydration episode cut his season short. The experience inspired Haugen, now a USF alumnus, and Rima El Brouzi, who’s pursuing a master’s degree in computer science at USF, to create syp, a hydration-monitoring technology designed to help athletes better understand their hydration needs.
Rima and I kept going back to the experience I faced with dehydration as a freshman and realized a lot of athletes experience the same issues. It was at that moment we discovered that we had a real problem that we wanted to solve.
Mathis Fürst Haugen
syp Co-Founder
Syp combines a removable smart bottle sleeve with a mobile app to provide athletes with personalized hydration insights. The company’s smart sleeve automatically measures liquid consumption from a compatible bottle, while connected wearables can contribute activity and physiological data. Users can also manually log additional beverages consumed outside the sleeve. The app then combines those inputs with personal information and daily activity.
Following Haugen’s dehydration incident in the fall of 2022, the pair founded syp in 2024 as a tool designed to move beyond one-size-fits-all hydration recommendations and deliver data tailored to each user.
“The bottles on the market require athletes to add yet another product that will only give the consumer an estimate of how much they should drink,” El Brouzi said. “They don’t consider whether the individual worked out, spent time outdoors or what the weather was like, all factors that are incorporated into syp.”
Now, two years after its founding, the patent-pending startup is piloting the technology with USF student-athletes through its Founding Athletes Program.
PARTNERING WITH USF ATHLETics
Through the program, USF student-athletes are testing the syp sleeve and access to the app, allowing them to use the technology in their training environments while providing feedback to guide future development.
“I’m excited to be a founding athlete with syp because hydration is often overlooked, even though it is such an important part of performing and feeling your best,” said Alex Whitecliffe, a member of the USF women’s lacrosse team. “It’s great to be part of something that helps athletes prioritize their health, performance and recovery while bringing more awareness to the importance of staying hydrated.”
Syp is designed to provide a more personalized approach to hydration by incorporating factors beyond water consumption alone. The platform can account for variables such as an athlete’s training load, recovery, sleep, activity levels and environmental conditions, helping users better understand how their hydration needs may change from day to day.
USF women’s lacrosse players Alex Whitecliffe and Kali Cleary are members of syp’s Founding Athletes Program
USF women’s lacrosse head coach Mindy McCord (second from right) [Photo courtesy of USF Athletics]
I can’t wait to have a better understanding of my hydration instead of just guessing whether I’ve had enough water. During outdoor practices and especially in the Florida heat, that’s something I really pay attention to. I’d love to learn more about what my body needs so I can feel prepared for practices and games.
Kali Cleary
USF Women’s Lacrosse
Data collected from the syp sleeve also will be added to a dashboard that allows coaches and athletic trainers to monitor hydration trends and individual athlete data.
“The technology is unique,” said Mindy McCord, head coach of USF women’s lacrosse. “It’s something our staff is interested in and wants to implement into our program. We track a lot with our athletes, and hydration is the one thing we currently lack data on. We’re excited to get started working with syp.”
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
As pilot testing continues, the team will use athlete feedback to further refine the technology. The founders have spent the past two years developing the product, participating in pitch competitions and preparing for launch. They also benefited from the broader USF entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly through mentorship, networking and support from the Nault Center for Entrepreneurship.
While USF student-athletes are leading the pilot program, syp testing expands beyond campus with approximately 50 users. The company has partnered with the University of Central Florida men’s tennis team and is testing it on USF alumni and athletes from other institutions.
“This experience has been very dear and close to my heart to see that it’s actually happening,” El Brouzi said. “Realizing the impact this product can have while continuing to grow the business has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.”
Syp will launch a Kickstarter on Oct. 27 for its final prototype and app beta testing efforts.
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