WHY BUILD TAP IN?

Like most academies, our team is made up of a hodgepodge of wanderers who found Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and never looked back. For some of us, the mats provided structure when things were falling apart. For others, they became a place to learn discipline, humility, and consistency. Jiu-jitsu doesn’t offer shortcuts or excuses — it demands accountability. You show up, you work, you improve. That process changed us, and it brought us all together.

We have the great fortune of training under world champions Israel Reyes, founder of Movimiento, and Alexander Molinaro, founder of Molinaro BJJ, both in Chicago. Those gyms and instructors set the standard for what jiu jitsu can be when it’s taught with intention, discipline, and care — and they lit a fire that turned casual interest into long-term commitment for our team.

As life moved forward, jiu jitsu stayed non-negotiable. We traveled across the U.S. for work, family holidays, and vacations, squeezing training in wherever we could. And everywhere we went, we ran into the same problems. It took forever to find a gym. Schedules were wrong. Websites were outdated. Calls and messages went unanswered. We’d show up to closed academies — or worse, walk in late as visitors, already apologizing before training even began.

Eventually, the realization hit: if a better way doesn’t exist, we have to build it. That’s where Tap In began.

Expand, engage and connect the global jiu jitsu community.

With 20+ years of experience building and scaling software and fintech products, we set out to build technology that fits Jiu Jitsu and all it's quirks. We aim to make jiu jitsu more accessible, more organized, and easier to commit to — for both grapplers and academy owners.

From helping white belts brace for the road ahead to increase their chances of sticking around long enough to see if BJJ can enrich their life, to giving gym owners simple ways to communicate clearly and keep their information accurate without needed an overpriced website + developer + marketing plan.

If we can eliminate even a tiny bit of the friction that exists between gyms and athletes today, we'll have succeeded. Increasing time on the mats is ultimately what we're all about. Plus, we believe jiu jitsu deserves technology that respects the art and the artists. The unsung academy owner who dedicates their entire life to introducing their special flavor of BJJ to the world is truly a hero in our eyes.

BUILT BY jiu jitsu addicts and academy owners

We’ve grown into a distributed team across the United States, with team members embedded in their local jiu jitsu communities, bringing real feedback from real gyms. That local perspective is paired with international talent who helps us to build, optimize, and scale Tap In at a world-class level.

Everything we do is built from the mats up. And just like on the mats, we'll be making mistakes as we go. We can't promise to always get it right the first time, but we can promise, and we commit to always listening to you: our academy owners and athletes.

We’re still early, which means we need your feedback to improve. What do you love about Tap In? What do you hate? If you had a magic wand, what would you want us to build? Tell us as hello@tapinapp.co or send us a DM on IG.

The mats changed our lives - now we’re building the future around them.