How Canberra helps Today’s Plan fill a niche for clever tech talent that loves endurance sport.

The next time the Tour de France runs, around half of the teams in the race will be using technology from Canberra: Today’s Plan. It’s a powerful platform developed right here in Canberra to help endurance athletes and their coaches plan their training.

Today’s Plan teamed up with some clever Canberra developers to build the online planning platform for athletes like cyclists, runners, and swimmers who typically train for longer events.

Ben Bowley is CEO and founder. “We want to bring everyone access to the training tools and methodologies of the world’s best teams and coaches,” he says.

“Canberra has provided the support and the talent to make that happen.”

Backed by Canberra

Today’s Plan received government grants that supported getting the technology working and telling the world about it.

“We’ve had terrific government support — including being part of trade missions to develop new markets and access investors in places like Singapore. The networking opportunities are simply irreplaceable,” says Ben.

“Our original angel investor is based in Canberra, it’s just that kind of place. The community here has worked hard to take Canberra exports to the world.”

Tech talent with a sporting edge

Canberra has a wealth of tech talent across software and app development. But Ben says there’s another key reason that Canberrans make great members of his team.

“We need a special kind of person who gets the tech and understands the endurance sport domain. If you’re not using it, you don’t understand it. With access to such an active lifestyle in Canberra, they can easily use the tech on their run, ride or walk and then analyse the platform performance,” he says.

“Canberra has a vibrant outdoor lifestyle — it’s famous for its cycle paths and mountain bike tracks. There’s nowhere else you can get the level of developer expertise combined with a passion for endurance sport.”

Love the liveability

Ben says the affordability and ease of getting around is the key difference between Canberra and other cities.

“Canberra brings you close to all the things you love to do. It’s a city with great transport connections and infrastructure, but small enough to get around easily,” he says.

“You can choose the life you want to lead, and it’s simply fantastic.”

Days well spent

As a keen cyclist, Ben loves the chance to get out and test out his own technology.

“The best part of my day is always going for a ride and using our tech. We’re always trying new things and Canberra is a perfect testing ground,” he says.

“Today’s Plan and riding are my two passions — and the coffee we drink after the ride!”