This week, Jake and I sat down with Drew Goodger, co-founder of Prevent Biometrics — the company behind those flashing red mouthguards you’ve seen all over rugby pitches and football fields.

But Prevent isn’t just making gear — they’re building an infrastructure layer for head safety. Their tech tracks real-time head impacts with verified data, provides instant alerts, and is already shaping policies in global sports like rugby. And while the flashing light gets the media attention, it’s the backend data system that might be the most valuable dataset in sports.

In this episode, Drew breaks down how the mouthguards work, why they’re betting on youth sports, and how Prevent could eventually influence everything from rulebooks to player contracts.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Intro01:00 – What the flashing mouthguards actually do02:29 – From Frankenstein prototype to sleek tech04:09 – How Prevent’s data is being used today06:38 – The evolution from Bluetooth to instant LED alerts08:03 – Why World Rugby was first to adopt10:52 – How the tech gets verified and certified13:11 – Will head impact data encourage or discourage participation?16:06 – The types of hits Drew worries about most17:56 – Human error, latency, and simplifying sideline decisions19:16 – The biggest adoption challenge: getting athletes to wear it21:50 – Will parents soon be managing impact data on the sideline?23:50 – What actually happens when the red light flashes25:11 – Can tech outperform human spotters?28:11 – Hit rates and concussion thresholds30:08 – Prevent’s growing role in shaping sports policy31:00 – Why “hit counts” could be the next pitch counts33:09 – What excites Drew about the future of contact sports35:01 – From mouthguards to military and sleep: the roadmap ahead36:28 – Recap with Tyler & Jake