At last year's Berlin Marathon. In the thick of competition among global sports supplement brands, a Korean startup's product sold out in two days. This is the story of Ultimate Potential, run by Ascent Sports.
Shin Hajong, CEO of Ascent Sports, said in a recent written interview with ChosunBiz, "What mattered most was that we were chosen for the product itself, not because it was a Korean brand," and recalled, "It was the moment we confirmed that the product strength and data we built in Korea translate directly to overseas runners." Shin holds a master's in physical education from Korea University, ran a training center in 2017, and founded Ascent Sports in 2020.
Ultimate Potential designs its ingredients based on International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) papers to fit each discipline, training goal, and exercise type. The key is a "circular structure." After intake, performance data feeds back into product development, and as this cycle repeats, the products become increasingly refined.
This approach showed results immediately on the field. Shin said, "In many cases, the cause of athletes' performance decline was not training but intake strategy," adding, "Simply adjusting the product and timing changed the records."
Ascent Sports currently holds data on about 70,000 customers and more than 68 teams and institutions at home and abroad. Shin emphasized, "As data accumulates, an 'optimal intake protocol by individual goal' is created," adding, "This is not an area you can catch up to just by making the same product."
Ascent Sports' data-driven strategy is also being recognized in professional sports. National soccer teams from four countries and numerous pro clubs currently use Ultimate Potential. The company said eliminating doping risks from the raw-material stage and securing global certifications led to trust.
Pro references mean more than just results. When ordinary customers choose products, the fact that it is a "brand used by the national team" serves as a powerful basis for trust.
This effect is stronger overseas. Shin said, "Especially in Southeast Asia, it's hard to secure a premium position just because it's a 'Korean brand,'" adding, "But being a brand used by a national team is a completely different story."
The Southeast Asian market is a future growth pillar for Ascent Sports. The company recently partnered with CALX, a local wellness brand in Thailand. CALX will handle local distribution, marketing, and sponsorships, while Ascent Sports will supply products and performance data. The plan is to combine the local partner's execution with the company's technology to quickly settle into the market.
Starting with Thailand, strategies have been tailored by country. Singapore will serve as a premium product base and Asia hub; Indonesia is a market to scale revenue by leveraging its large distribution networks; and Malaysia will act as a bridgehead into the Muslim market based on halal certification.
The expansion strategy will proceed in stages. This year, the company will stabilize distribution networks in four Southeast Asian countries, secure halal certification by 2028, and enter the Middle East market. It then plans to move into global sports events, including in North America.
Shin explained the backdrop: "If the existing market centered on protein products for bodybuilding, now we're in a phase where endurance sports like running, cycling, and triathlon are growing rapidly," adding, "There aren't many brands in Asia with lineups specialized for endurance."
Ascent Sports' ultimate goal is to transition into a data-based performance platform. By combining wearable, training, and intake data, the company said it can offer integrated services ranging from intake plans tailored to individual condition and schedules to injury prevention and recovery management.
Shin said, "At that stage, customers won't be buying products; they'll be subscribing to performance care," adding, "The revenue structure will also shift from one-off product sales to a recurring service model."
Shin added, "When overseas revenue surpasses domestic revenue, and when the share of data-based service revenue grows meaningfully at the same time, the company will hit an inflection point."
Ascent Sports posted 900 million won in 2023, 1.4 billion won in 2024, and 1.6 billion won last year. After switching to in-house manufacturing in 2024, the company also turned profitable last year. It is targeting 5 billion won in domestic revenue and 1 billion won in overseas revenue this year, and plans to expand to 20 billion won next year and seek Series B funding.
Shin said, "There may be overseas brands that come to mind when you think of 'sports nutrition' now, but in five or 10 years, when people think of 'that company that started in Asia,' I want Ascent Sports to come to mind."