- ABOUT RUNEASI
A Founder's Story Rooted
In Science
Meet Kurt and Tim
Researchers and clinicians at heart
“Every development at Runeasi is grounded in science and should deliver value in a real-world setting. No commercial nonsense features.”
Kurt and Tim’s story began back in 2013 while completing their PhD studies at KU Leuven in Belgium, the most innovative university in Belgium. Kurt, immersed in biomechanics, wanted to measure running gait in real-world settings with the same precision as the gold standard equipment he had in the university lab of Prof. Dr. Benedicte Vanwanseele. During his research, he connected with Tim, who was pursuing a PhD in Computer Science as part of the DTAI sports analytics group led by Prof. Dr. Jesse Davis. Together, they set out to develop a solution that leveraged the potential of data from wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs), using a combination of biomechanics and artificial intelligence (AI) to advance future research opportunities.
Runeasi’s core technology was developed to be used in research & science settings, but we got so much interest from health professionals and runners that we optimized our technology towards application in the real world.
Across eight years of academic work, they validated a new wearable accelerometer capable of accurately measuring running gait, loading patterns, stability, and asymmetries. The technology provided insights into injury prevention, fatigue prediction, and performance well outside the lab environment.
It was only when they started engaging more with physiotherapists, clinic owners, and sports practitioners that they recognized the need for a tool that was not just scientifically robust, but also easy to use and tailored for real clinical workflows. This feedback inspired them to refine Runeasi for clinical reliability and usability, resulting in a platform designed exclusively for professionals and modern practice needs.
- TIMELINE
Milestones that shaped Runeasi
2013 – Start PhD research Kurt & Tim
2015 – First Peer-reviewed publication
2019 – Large-scale benchmark data collection (KU Leuven)
2020 – Runeasi founded
2021 – First customer
2022 – Used in 10 countries
2023 – Online education platform launched
2024 – Expansion to 40+ countries
2025 – Jumping module launched
2026 – New App!
- THE TEAM
Meet our team
There are 10 of us at our HQ in Belgium, and two spread across America, ready to meet you, wherever you are. At the coffee machine we like to chat about cool use cases, running, sports, science, performance, AI and technology. Feel free to join us for an (e)-coffee!
JOIN US
If you share our passion for sports & tech and think you’d be a great fit, don’t hesitate to submit an open application below.
We look forward hearing from you!
Meet our team of physiotherapists, coaches, running enthusiasts, PhD researchers, professors, and engineers
Kurt Schütte,
PhD
Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder
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After doing his PhD in biomechanics, he recognized the need for affordable, evidence-based biomechanics analysis in the field. His vision as CEO is that within the next three years every clinician and coach will be supporting their expertise with data-driven insights to help their clients reduce injuries while improving performance. He believes that Runeasi will be the catalyst to fulfilling this vision, by bridging the gap between science and practice.
Tim Op De Beéck, PhD
Chief Technology Officer, Co-Founder
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Tim co-founded Runeasi as he believes that wearable technology can offer an affordable solution to physios to support their evidence-based decision-making. When applied correctly, and with the right scientific underpinning of concepts in biomechanics, A.I. can leverage the similarities between patients to provide actionable and individual insights. As our CTO, Tim is motivated to improve our product every day by combining A.I. and biomechanics.
Prof. Benedicte Vanwanseele
Scientific Advisor, Co-Founder
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Benedicte is the head of the Human Movement Biomechanics Research Group at KU Leuven. At KU Leuven she develops insights as well as tools to come to personalized rehabilitation and training regimens to enable every individual to perform to the best of their own ability. As our scientific advisor, she improves the backbone of our wearable technology through rigorous scientific validation. She believes that Runeasi has the potential to enable physiotherapists to optimize their treatment by providing patient-specific objectives and relevant measures on movement and loading.
Prof. Jesse Davis
Scientific Advisor, Co-Founder
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Runeasi combines Jesse’s big passions: sports and analyzing data. As an advisor and board member, he brings his skills in applying artificial intelligence and data science techniques to solve real-world practical problems. In particular, his research about analyzing data arising from professional sports has received significant attention, and has been covered by FiveThirtyEight, The New York Times, ESPN, and The Economist.
MSc Philip Cortvriendt
Customer Success Manager
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Philip achieved a master’s degree in physiotherapy & rehabilitation sciences and has core expertise in the field of running, working with both recreational and elite runners. Philip has the unique role of educating Runeasi physiotherapists and helping them translate biomechanical insights into targeted strength and conditioning exercises. He specifically focuses on how they can improve their client care using scientifically validated biomechanical insights from our Runeasi analytics.
Customer Sales Manager
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Timothée completed his master’s degree in Communication Studies (Strategic Communication) at the University of Antwerp, after obtaining a bachelor’s in Communication Management (Commercial Communication), shaping his view on sales and marketing. His mission is to raise awareness in the market for the crucial added value of wearable tech. All physios, coaches, sports doctors, podiatrists, and athletes should get the chance to enjoy the advantages of Runeasi and lead the way for better injury prevention, enhanced rehab, accurate decision making, and evidence-based advice.
Jill De Graaf
Head Of Content
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Jill obtained her master’s degree in Graphic Design from Sint-Lucas Antwerp and cultivated her expertise in marketing strategy and social media through leadership positions in several startups. She brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic communication perception to our team. Translating the collected insights gathered by our Runeasi professionals into an intriguing and clear message to our customers, industry peers and experts.
Koen Smets
Senior Data Science Engineer
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Koen, holding an MSc in Mathematics and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Antwerp, fuels Runeasi with his passion and expertise in data, devops, and sports. As a Senior Data Science Engineer, he crafts our data strategy, pioneers novel algorithms, and fortifies our product line. He’s dedicated to seamless scalability, embracing Runeasi’s mission to revolutionize running through wearable sensors and AI, championing a data-driven approach to enhance biomechanics and injury resilience.
Jimmy Picard
Business Development Manager
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Jimmy earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Virginia Commonwealth University after completing his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at The College of William and Mary, where he also competed in cross country and track. With a passion for helping endurance athletes overcome injury and return to pain-free running, he has dedicated his career to bridging the gap between rehab and performance. His mission is to empower runners, coaches, and clinicians with cutting-edge tools like Runeasi to improve injury prevention, optimize rehab, and make data-driven decisions that enhance performance and longevity in the sport.
Matthias Gombeer
Sport Scientist
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Matthias completed his master’s degree in Movement Sciences, specializing in biomechanics, at KU Leuven. After graduating, he gained experience with the Sports Science team at On Running. As a sub-elite and passionate runner himself, Matthias brings both scientific knowledge and personal insight to his role. At Runeasi, he works as the dedicated sport scientist, focusing on athlete monitoring and translating biomechanical data into practical insights. He supports coaches and athletes with load monitoring, shoe recommendations, and performance optimization through evidence-based approaches.
Michiel Baetens
Business Development Manager
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Driven by the belief that proper movement and exercise can change lives, Michiel combines a Master’s in Communication Sciences with extensive marketing and sales expertise and years of experience coaching endurance athletes.
Originally from Belgium and now based in Vancouver, Canada, he also serves as an Assistant at Simon Fraser University. At Runeasi, Michiel builds partnerships with professionals, researchers, and sports teams — helping them transform wearable movement insights into smarter, more effective strategies for performance and well-being.
Wietse Vandeput
Front-End Developer
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Holding a Professional Bachelor’s degree in Applied Computer Science, brings his interest in front-end development and endurance sports to Runeasi. As a data-driven athlete, he focuses on developping clear and efficient interfaces that help translate biomechanical and AI-driven analyses into actionable insights for clinicians and coaches.
Working closely with the data and sport science teams, Wietse contributes to making Runeasi’s technology scalable, intuitive, and practical, supporting the Runeasi’s mission to improve movement quality, performance, and injury resilience.
