A finished research run on an example topic, shown in full — the findings, the sources behind them and the product versions are all the run's own output, except that a product name may have been changed where it matched an existing brand.

Back to the run overview Indoor climbing gyms

Trendy

Resetlog

A gym-facing SaaS that turns raw phone-scan hold detection into an automated routesetting log, letting setters photograph a wall after each reset and instantly generate a digital route catalog for members.

01

What to build

  • MVP

    A tablet/phone app for routesetters to scan a wall post-reset, auto-tag holds via the CNN/YOLO pipeline, and push the generated route map to a gym's existing member app or a simple embeddable widget.

  • Why it can be better

    TopLogger and KAYA still require manual data entry from routesetters; this automates the tedious cataloging step that fragmented hobbyist CV repositories never packaged into a usable gym workflow.

  • Revenue model

    Per-location SaaS subscription (~$100-250/month) sold to multi-location chains like Central Rock Gym or Movement, priced against staff time saved on manual route entry.

  • Target user

    Routesetters and operations staff at multi-location climbing gym chains.

02

Context

The opportunity this answers

Build a phone-camera app that scans any climbing wall to auto-map holds and routes, giving climbers and home-wall builders personalized route and training suggestions.

Why now

Fresh CV datasets and hold-classification models built in the past year finally make automated wall scanning technically feasible, but they remain scattered single-star hobbyist repositories with no packaged product, while chain gyms keep expanding and search demand holds steady at 8,100-18,100 monthly, giving a real, growing user base ready for a tool that turns this raw technology into something usable before a larger incumbent bundles it first.

Existing solutions

13 findings18 sources

Back to the idea
  1. 01

    KAYA

    Gym and outdoor climbing app partnered with major chains (Touchstone, Momentum, Movement) letting routesetters create sets, gym managers run competitions, and climbers log sends, watch beta videos and track progress via GPS maps and offline topos.

    Falls short

    Relies on routesetters manually entering route data rather than auto-detecting holds/routes from a photo; no injury-aware or personalized training suggestions; route data locked behind a paid PRO subscription for full access.

    Sources climbing.com (opens in a new tab) apps.apple.com (opens in a new tab) kayaclimb.com (opens in a new tab)

  2. 02

    Mountain Project

    Large climbing guidebook database (359,000+ routes) with maps, offline topos, star ratings, and a mobile app (MoPro) for finding and navigating to routes.

    Falls short

    Focused on outdoor crag discovery and grading, not indoor gym wall mapping; no computer-vision hold detection, no home-wall design tools, no injury-specific route filtering.

    Sources play.google.com (opens in a new tab) apps.apple.com (opens in a new tab) hikethepla.net (opens in a new tab) mountainproject.com (opens in a new tab)

  3. 03

    TopLogger

    Gym-facing route management and competition platform used by 200+ gyms worldwide to boost visitation and retention.

    Falls short

    Built for gym operators to manage sets and run competitions, not for individual climbers scanning a wall themselves or home-wall builders; no personalized injury or training guidance.

    Sources toplogger.nu (opens in a new tab)

  4. 04

    onX Backcountry

    Route mapping and planning app extended to rock climbing for outdoor ascents.

    Falls short

    Oriented toward outdoor route planning and navigation, not indoor gym hold-mapping or personalized session/training feedback.

    Sources onxmaps.com (opens in a new tab)

  5. 05

    RocoLib

    Small open-source web app (8 stars) to create and share bouldering routes for a specific gym.

    Falls short

    Manual route creation and sharing only; no computer-vision hold detection from photos, minimal traction, single-gym scope.

    Sources github.com (opens in a new tab)

  6. 06

    custom-routes-android

    Android app (2 stars) for creating and sharing custom climbing routes from gym photos.

    Falls short

    Early hobbyist project with very low adoption; photo-based route creation appears manual rather than automated hold/route classification, no training or injury features.

    Sources github.com (opens in a new tab)

  7. 07

    BoulderChallenge (community-mentioned app)

    App letting climbers photograph a route, tag hand/foot holds, name and grade it, then upload to a community with location tagging.

    Falls short

    Manual hold-tagging by the user rather than automatic computer-vision detection; no personalization for injury history, skill level, or home-wall dimensions.

    Sources reddit.com (opens in a new tab)

  8. 08

    Other small route/session trackers (climbmapper, skala3ma, cumes-brasil, Sender, Rock-On, suuntoplus-climb-logger)

    Scattered independent repositories (2-7 stars each) offering route cataloging, gym management, map-based dashboards, or wearable-integrated send/fail logging.

    Falls short

    Each covers only a narrow slice (mapping, logging, or gym admin) with minimal user bases; none integrate computer-vision wall scanning, injury-aware coaching, or home-wall planning into one product.

    Sources github.com (opens in a new tab) github.com (opens in a new tab) github.com (opens in a new tab) github.com (opens in a new tab) github.com (opens in a new tab) github.com (opens in a new tab)

Uncovered gaps

5 gaps

  1. 01

    No automatic wall scanning

    No app lets a climber point a phone camera at any wall — gym or home — and automatically detect holds and generate a route map without manual tagging; every existing tool relies on manual entry by routesetters or users themselves.

  2. 02

    Missing injury-aware coaching

    No product offers route or warm-up suggestions tailored to a climber's injury history; injured climbers still rely on peer forum threads instead of any structured tool.

  3. 03

    No home-wall design tool

    No tool helps home wall builders input their space dimensions and angle to receive auto-suggested hold layouts and routes; this remains ad hoc forum advice.

  4. 04

    Fragmented, unintegrated CV tools

    Computer-vision hold/route classification exists only in disconnected small repositories with negligible traction, never combined with session tracking, gym data, or personalization into a shipped consumer product.

  5. 05

    No safety-tracking feature

    No consumer-facing tool tracks auto-belay or gear safety history, or lets climbers report/check wall design and safety issues, despite rising scrutiny of incidents and design preferences.