About Us

Steve August

Backpod®  was developed in New Zealand specifically to counter the huge upsurge of pain and headache in people hunching over computers and smartphones.

It all started from a chance discussion in 2010 between Dunedin manual physiotherapist Steve August and Otago University Design School head Nick Laird. Steve was worrying about the upcoming generation of computer-savvy but already hunched adolescents. Nick insisted he talk to Andrew Wallace, lecturer in Industrial Design with 25 years of experience and several international design awards to his credit. As a result, Backpod® was designed by Andrew to Steve’s requirements for a truly effective, science-based stretching device.

The rest is history – and much hard work!

Backpod® is manufactured in Christchurch, New Zealand.  It was first released in 2012 and is now sold in most countries in the world.

Since launching, Backpod®  has won numerous international business, innovation and design awards, including a German Red Dot award in 2013.  In 2015 it won one of the invitation-only German Design Council awards – the only product in New Zealand’s history to have done so.

We’re extremely proud of how far we’ve come and the people we’ve helped all around the world. We look forward to doing the same for you!

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