Press Kit
One-liner
"相方を見つけて、舞台に立とう"
About SparMate
SparMate is a matching app for hobbyist martial artists — the BJJ blue belt who works a day job, the boxer who trains twice a week, the Muay Thai practitioner who travels for work. Built solo by an indie developer (a hobbyist BJJ player themselves), the app cuts profile setup to four required fields and explicitly excludes pro-tier categories.
It is not a dating app, not a competition tracker, and nota fitness gamification tool — it is a focused tool for finding someone to drill or roll with on a Tuesday night when your schedule and your gym's schedule don't match. Currently in free beta. Built by Cosoado Lab.
Key facts
Founder story (anonymous)
The developer behind SparMate is a hobbyist BJJ blue belt with a day job. After three years of training, they hit the same wall every week: showing up to open mat with no one their size, getting paired with either the heavy purple belt or the brand-new white belt — neither of which is what most adult hobbyists actually need.
“Most martial arts apps are built for the 5% who compete. We built SparMate for the 95% who don't. Hobbyists don't think in ‘preferred sparring intensity percentages’ — they think ‘don't wreck me, I have work tomorrow.’ The whole product is downstream of that one insight.”
SparMate launched in beta in April 2026 with no funding, no marketing budget, and no team — just a tiny tool built by one person who wanted it to exist for themselves first.
Quotes you can use in articles
“We removed seven profile fields after launch because hobbyists don't want to pre-categorize their training. They want to show up and roll. The product is shaped by who actually uses it.”
“Most martial arts apps are built for the 5% who compete. We built ours for the 95% who don't.”
“Weight class is required at signup not because we want to be invasive — but because matching a 60kg beginner with a 90kg heavy hitter is a hospital trip waiting to happen.”
“We're a tiny indie team. No funding, no investors, no roadmap pressure. The only thing we have to optimize for is whether the people in our community would actually use this. That's a powerful constraint.”
Press FAQ
Who is the founder?
SparMate is built by a small indie team based in Tokyo. We're keeping individual identities private during the beta period to focus attention on the product itself. The founder is a hobbyist BJJ practitioner who started this as a side project — that's the relevant context. Cosoado Lab is the trade name we operate under.
Are you funded?
No. SparMate is self-funded by the founder, with zero outside investment.
How is this different from a dating app?
SparMate is explicitly nota dating app. The terms of service literally prohibit using it for romantic or sexual purposes. We have no “super likes”, no “boost”, no profile gamification.
What's your monetization plan?
For the beta period, everything is free. Long term, we're exploring a freemium model where matching is always free and additional features may be paid. Nothing is locked in yet.
Is the app available outside Japan?
Yes. SparMate is available worldwide, in English and Japanese. Beta users span Japan, Thailand, the US, and Europe.
Brand assets
High-resolution logos, screenshots, and the OG image are available below.
For larger asset packages, additional screenshots, or custom imagery, contact us at the email below.
Media contact
We respond to press inquiries within 24 hours. Voice interviews are welcome (we keep individual identities private during beta — happy to answer anything about the product itself).