HITIQ Launches PROTEQT Smart Mouthguard Across rebel, Chemist Warehouse & Amazon

PROTEQT mouthguard rolls out across rebel, Chemist Warehouse and Amazon

HITIQ Ltd (ASX: HIQ) has launched its HITIQ PROTEQT Retail Launch across multiple major Australian retail channels simultaneously, marking a significant commercialisation milestone for the company’s smart mouthguard technology. The PROTEQT™ mouthguard is now available through rebel stores nationwide, Chemist Warehouse Marketplace, Amazon Marketplace Australia, and electronics retailers via a NARTA agreement, alongside direct sales through HITIQ.com.

This multi-channel distribution strategy represents a transition from development phase to broad market availability, providing the company with multiple pathways to reach different customer segments rather than relying on a single retail partner. The simultaneous rollout across sporting goods, health and wellness, e-commerce, electronics, and direct channels de-risks the commercialisation phase by diversifying market access.

The company has structured its distribution across five complementary channels:

• Sporting Goods: rebel stores (nationwide physical locations and online platform) targeting athletes and coaches
• Health & Wellness: Chemist Warehouse Marketplace reaching health-conscious consumers
• E-Commerce: Amazon Marketplace Australia capturing online shoppers
• Electronics: NARTA agreement providing access to major Australian electronics and technology retailers
• Direct-to-Consumer: HITIQ.com serving informed buyers seeking the product directly

This distribution architecture positions PROTEQT™ to reach contact sports participants through their preferred shopping channels, whether they purchase equipment at sporting goods stores, browse health products at pharmacies, shop online through major e-commerce platforms, or buy technology products through electronics retailers.

National radio campaign targets contact sport participants during pre-season

Coinciding with the retail expansion, HITIQ has executed a marketing agreement with Sports Entertainment Network (SEN), Australia’s largest sports radio network, running from February through May 2026. The campaign delivers over 1,000 commercial advertisements across three capital cities—Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane—with integration into premium AFL and NRL broadcast programming.

The timing aligns strategically with the 2026 AFL and NRL pre-season periods, when contact sports participants, coaches, and safety-conscious parents typically purchase protective equipment. This represents the company’s first major marketing campaign designed to convert retail distribution into actual sales during peak equipment purchasing periods.

Earl Eddings, Executive Chair, HITIQ

“Our multi-channel retail strategy provides comprehensive market coverage, whilst the Sports Entertainment Network campaign delivers targeted exposure during peak engagement periods. Sales are accelerating as our first major marketing campaign reaches target audiences during the critical pre-season purchasing period.”

The campaign’s geographic focus on Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane targets Australia’s largest metropolitan markets where AFL and NRL participation rates are highest, maximising potential reach among the target demographic during the critical purchasing window preceding the contact sports season.

What is a smart mouthguard and why does it matter?

PROTEQT™, co-developed with Shock Doctor, is a concussion management and athlete safety solution that combines hardware and software to deliver real-time head impact data. Unlike traditional mouthguards that provide only passive protection, smart mouthguards represent an emerging category of instrumented protective equipment designed to address growing awareness of concussion risks in contact sports.

The technology functions through an integrated system:

1. Instrumented mouthguard worn by the athlete during play contains embedded sensors
2. Impact detection sensors measure and record head impacts in real-time during matches and training
3. Data transmission sends impact information to a connected analytics platform
4. Analytics platform provides coaches and medical staff with actionable safety information to inform player management decisions

This data-driven approach enables sporting organisations to monitor cumulative head impact exposure across athletes, potentially identifying patterns that warrant medical attention before symptoms become apparent. The value proposition centres on converting subjective concussion assessment into objective, measurable data.

The smart mouthguard category is experiencing tailwinds from increasing regulatory pressure on sporting organisations to implement concussion management protocols, combined with heightened parental concern about head injury risks in junior contact sports. These market dynamics create conditions favourable for adoption of objective monitoring technologies like PROTEQT™.

First international rugby order signals export potential

HITIQ has secured its first international rugby club order, with Kinross Rugby Club in Scotland purchasing 80 PROTEQT™ units. Whilst this order represents modest revenue in isolation, it demonstrates initial interest from established rugby markets and provides a reference customer for broader international expansion discussions.

The significance lies in validation that the product appeals to established rugby markets outside Australia. Scotland’s rugby market, characterised by organised club structures and established safety protocols, represents the type of international customer segment HITIQ may target as it scales beyond domestic distribution.

This initial international sale demonstrates that foreign rugby clubs are willing to adopt Australian-developed concussion monitoring technology, potentially opening pathways into Northern Hemisphere rugby markets where concussion awareness and regulatory requirements continue to evolve.

Sales momentum building across multiple channels

The company reports that sales are “accelerating as retail distribution expands and the 2026 contact sports pre-seasons commence.” Revenue is being generated across multiple customer segments, including national sporting organisation partnerships, direct-to-consumer channels, retail distribution, community sports clubs, and elite sports programmes.

The multi-segment sales profile suggests PROTEQT™ is gaining traction across different levels of organised sport, from grassroots community clubs through to elite programmes, each representing distinct purchasing patterns and adoption drivers.

The convergence of expanded retail distribution and a 1,000+ advertisement marketing campaign during the February-May 2026 period creates conditions for the company to test whether its commercialisation strategy converts distribution and marketing investment into meaningful sales volume.

What comes next for HITIQ’s PROTEQT rollout

The company’s stated commercialisation strategy positions the marketing campaign, which runs through May 2026, as the mechanism to drive awareness and purchasing behaviour during the 2026 contact sports season. The next three to four months represent a critical execution period where the combination of retail availability and marketing exposure will determine whether the multi-channel distribution model generates sufficient sales velocity.

For investors, this period functions as a test of the company’s go-to-market strategy. The simultaneous deployment of retail partnerships and marketing spend during peak purchasing periods should, if successful, translate into observable sales momentum as the AFL and NRL seasons progress through their opening months.

The company has structured its commercialisation approach to capture demand across multiple touchpoints, reducing dependence on any single distribution channel whilst the marketing campaign aims to convert concussion awareness into product adoption among the target demographic of contact sports participants and safety-conscious parents.

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