May 9, 2025 David Schwartz Charlotte

A few years ago, Josh Kohn was working with Charlotte-based digital product consultancy Method. He was traveling frequently and playing a lot of golf in the process. And because his past as an Army Ranger had left his back in less-than-ideal shape for generating long drives, he decided to focus on his putting.

Kohn went for a putter fitting and was provided with extensive data on his stroke. The only problem was that generating that data required advanced machines and sensors he couldn’t make use of outside of the fitting.

Kohn wondered, “How can I get all these insights so I can actually get better and not just use a better putter?”

The machines used in the putter fitting cost about $10K. So Josh did what he referred to as “the responsible thing” and quit his job to work out an alternative: his startup, Meridian.

Kohn made the move in part because he had gained some familiarity with computer vision (CV) through a past investment in a robotics company. He believed that through this technology—which functions like a Large Language Model responding to visual input rather than text—he could develop a better way to generate comprehensive putting insights.

“If we can use this with just a camera feed then we don’t need all the expensive hardware that these studio solutions are using,” Kohn said. “And we can make it accessible to everyone and we can kind of improve the experience.”

Kohn put the word out that he was interested in working with someone who knew CV and had an interest in sports. That led to what was initially a half-hour advisory call with Cody Phillips, PhD, who had precisely the kind of experience Kohn was seeking. The call lasted 90 minutes; soon thereafter, Kohn and Phillips co-founded Meridian.

Building a better system

In explaining what Meridian set out to build, Kohn made a surprising comparison to the gamified language-learning app Duolingo.

“If Duolingo didn’t exist and you told me, ‘I’m going to build a $15 billion company on giving people foreign language [and grammar] lessons,’ I’d be like ‘well, that’ll never happen,’” he said. “But they made it accessible, they made it insightful, they made it engaging, and they built a community around it… and if you have those four things, then you can really unlock a ton of potential.”

Accessibility had been the main issue with the analysis Kohn had enjoyed while being fitted for a putter. But as he researched demand and competition, it became clear that insight and engagement were also common problems; there simply wasn’t a tool that was accessible, engaging, and capable of providing useful data.

Phillips (left) and Kohn presenting Meridian

Leaning on Phillips’s “unique” CV capability, Meridian built just such a tool. The startup’s patent-pending technology can measure various aspects of a golfer’s putt using only a smartphone camera, with no expensive equipment or attachments.

“We are able to see visual inputs, identify a ball, identify the club, and then make measurements and predictions based on that,” Kohn said. Specifically, Meridian’s CV and algorithms can measure putter movement, ball spin, and roll characteristics.

Kohn stressed that a user does not have to be on a putting green to generate data. Meridian simply calculates how a putt would unfold in a given green situation and helps the user work toward consistency and precision with that particular stroke. The process is not about learning to hit a single target, but rather learning how to continually repeat optimal putts.

All this technological capability covered accessibility (a user needs only a smartphone) and insight (comprehensive stroke data drives greater precision). The last piece of the Duolingo puzzle was gamification.

Meridian built this in as well, infusing the app with regular challenges and the option for users to compete with friends.

Milestones and market

Kohn identified golf as the fastest-growing sport in America, with an estimated 15 million new players since 2019. Within this market, there are various avenues through which Meridian will attract users. The startup will leverage the extensive networks of teaching pros and coaches; reach committed players via teaching pro referrals, content, and SEO; and provide accessible training to underrepresented demographics that are on the rise in golf.

Meridian’s app is free to download and contains various subscription models. Users may take advantage of a freemium option or pay “less than the price of a box of golf balls” for a year of access.

QUICK BITS
Startup: Meridian Performance Systems
Co-Founders: Josh Kohn (CEO), Dr. Cody Phillips (CTO)
Founded: 2023
Team size: 5
Location: Charlotte
Website: www.puttmeridian.com
Funding: Bootstrapped; raising pre-seed

This spring, Meridian has been busily participating in pitch competitions and conferences, demonstrating its technology to overwhelmingly positive reception. The startup took first place (and a $4K prize) in the pre-revenue category at the Winston Starts Investor Forum in March; it then won the audience vote in the “Sports, Gaming & Education” category at CED’s Venture Connect.

Kohn and Phillips also had the opportunity to visit the Dallas Cowboys’ training facility in Texas to interact with sports tech industry leaders and were subsequently invited to PGA headquarters.

Meridian is actively raising a pre-seed round. The startup is also exploring additional avenues for its unique computer vision technology—though Kohn was clear that the primary focus remains on golf.

About David Schwartz66 Articles

David is a Senior Editor at GrepBeat covering Triangle tech startups and entrepreneurs. Before pivoting to journalism, he worked for a London-based content agency, where he wrote roughly one quarter of the content you see on the internet. Outside of work, David enjoys sports and movies a little too much.