About Panthor

While working in London as a trainer, I became acutely aware of the lack of versatile gym equipment, and how limited we were by space. I once watched someone repurpose a leg extension machine for glute kickbacks, and when I tried it myself, the movement felt surprisingly effective. It made me realise that even single-use machines had untapped potential, but also that they were fundamentally limited by design.

That thought lingered with me until a client asked for help building a home training setup, and I was shocked to find there was no equipment that supported both upper and lower body training in a compact, multifunctional way. It seemed unbelievable, so I dove into research, asking about product development, design feasibility, patents, costs, and fabrication. What started as a casual frustration became a mission.

At the time, I had only £5,000 in the bank and no idea how to take it further, so I stepped away and enrolled in law school. But the more I immersed myself in that world, the more disconnected I felt. That’s when I dropped out and committed fully to building Panthor, it was, and still is. the only thing that lit a fire in me.

Things started to shift when I was accepted into the Gymshark incubator program, which opened the door to networking opportunities and, crucially, introduced me to a manufacturer. During one meeting, I sketched my first concept, thinking it might be a multi-station design, but it felt too complicated. Then I revisited that original leg extension idea, refined the sketch, and they built a rough prototype, Though the mechanics were off, it was the beginning of something real.

Without major funding, I turned to universities for support and found a powerful partnership through the sports science and engineering departments. The Head of Sports Science saw the vision and believed in the product, helping us secure a grant from the EIS and connect with an investor. Together, we created a working prototype and conducted beta testing with local sports science students. It was the first time I saw my idea truly come to life.

With the pre-production model finally ready, we organised a full photoshoot and videography session to showcase the product. That moment felt like a culmination of my relentless pursuit. It wasn’t just an idea anymore, it was Panthor, ready to be shared with the world.