José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento

Co-Founder & CEO, Vertikal X

José Carlos Sarmiento, known as Charlie, is a global sports visionary, extreme endurance athlete, serial entrepreneur, and motivational speaker who has transformed personal adversity into a mission to empower athletes worldwide. Losing his father at 14, Charlie faced financial barriers that derailed his early sports dreams, leading to a successful 14-year corporate career in finance and strategy across multinationals like CBC PepsiCo Bottlers, DISAGRO, and EY. Holding an MBA from INCAE Business School and a BA in Business Administration from Universidad Francisco Marroquín, he excelled in corporate treasury, M&A, international tax strategies, and scaling operations, saving millions through optimized processes.[LinkedIn Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliesarmiento) In 2015, battling depression, Charlie turned to ultra trail running, skyrocketing to #138 in the 2018 World Trail Championships, top 5 Latin American in the Ultra Trail World Tour, and leading Guatemala's first national skyrunning team. Transitioning to extreme triathlons in 2023, he ranked top 20 globally after just two races, amassing 20,000+ miles in swim, bike, run with 2M+ elevation gain.[CharlieSarmiento.com](https://charliesarmiento.com) This athletic reinvention fueled his entrepreneurial pivot. During COVID, he founded Vertikal Sports Performance, Central America's premier high-tech training facility, Zero Sixty e-commerce for sports tech, and a Pilates studio—exiting all three by 2022 to focus on Vertikal X (VTX Athlete), a sports tech platform using AI-driven VTX Index to match endurance athletes with brands based on performance data, not followers. Now based in Lausanne, Switzerland (previously Austin, TX), VTX is a portfolio company of International Accelerator, revolutionizing sponsorships for ultra-running, triathlons, cycling, and more.[VTX Athlete](https://app.vtxathlete.com) Charlie's book 'The Real Ultraman' outlines his Life Test, Vision, Design system for resilience. As a speaker reaching 150,000+, board member at INCAE, founder of Guatemala Skyrunning Association, and investor via Vertikal Sports Capital, he blends business acumen with athletic grit to incubate sports startups. His journey from corporate executive to outlier athlete embodies pushing boundaries, inspiring reinvention across sports tech, wellness, and leadership.[Foreign Founders Podcast](https://shows.acast.com/foreign-founders/episodes/charlie-sarmiento-co-founder-vtx)

Key Insights from José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento

Implemented tax strategies with a positive impact of more than US$3M... savings of more than US$8M.

— José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento on Financial Strategy

Vertikal X´s through its VTXAthlete platform match endurance athletes with brands to get sponsorships based on a proprietary algorithm, VTX Score.

— José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento on Sports Tech Innovation

Ranked #138 in the 2018 World Trail Championship... top 20 globally in extreme triathlons after two races.

— José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento on Endurance Expertise

My passion lies in driving growth, enabling innovation, and creating ripple effects of positive change that transcend industries.

— José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento on Entrepreneurial Resilience

Notable Quotes from José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento

"Vertikal X is revolutionizing endurance sports by creating the first performance-based marketplace connecting athletes with funding and brand sponsorships through data-driven algorithms."

— José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento

"From rock bottom and depression, using sports as guiding light... This journey inspired a transformative system for reinvention."

— José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento

"Implemented a new corporate treasury strategy... with savings of more than US$8M."

— José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento

"As a motivational speaker, I’ve reached over 150,000 people globally, inspiring them to unlock their full potential."

— José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento

"His aim is to empower young athletes globally, accelerating their sports careers."

— José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento

"Ranked in the top 200 ultra trail runners in the world... top 30 of the Xtri World Tour."

— José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento

Frequently Asked Questions about José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento

How does Vertikal X's VTX Score work for athlete sponsorships?

The VTX Index algorithm analyzes training consistency via Strava API, official race results, and social media positivity/engagement to generate a holistic score (TPI for training, SPI for social, API for achievements). This merit-based metric helps brands discover and fund real performers, bypassing follower counts. Athletes build profiles, launch campaigns for races/gear, and connect directly with sponsors and fans. As founder, Charlie developed it from his own sponsorship challenges.[VTX Athlete](https://app.vtxathlete.com) [Global Innovation Forum](https://globalinnovationforum.com/vertikalx/)

What inspired Charlie Sarmiento to start his sports tech venture?

After losing his father young and corporate success, depression led Charlie to ultra-running in 2015 for healing. Personal struggles securing sponsors despite top rankings highlighted industry inequities. Exiting fitness ventures during COVID, he moved to Austin in 2021, launching Vertikal X to empower global athletes—especially from underserved regions—with data-driven opportunities, mirroring his path from Guatemala to world stage.[Foreign Founders](https://shows.acast.com/foreign-founders/episodes/charlie-sarmiento-co-founder-vtx) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliesarmiento)

What is Charlie's background in corporate finance and entrepreneurship?

Over 14 years, Charlie led treasury at CBC (saving $8M+), expanded DISAGRO to 12% Colombia market share, structured Embraer jet deals ($8M+ sales), and advised at EY. Serial founder: Vertikal Sports Performance (exited), Zero Sixty (high-end sports e-com), Pilates Pro Works. Now channels expertise into Vertikal X and Vertikal Sports Capital nonprofit for sports startups.[LinkedIn Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliesarmiento)

How has Charlie's athletic career influenced his business?

From combating depression via ultras (top 1% in 28+ global races) to triathlons (top 30 Xtri World Tour, Norseman 2025 qualifier), Charlie's 20k+ endurance miles validate VTX's metrics. Founded Guatemala Skyrunning, hosted TV, authored 'The Real Ultraman' mindset book. Athletics taught resilience, directly informing platforms for athlete development and sponsorships.[CharlieSarmiento.com](https://charliesarmiento.com)

José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento — Areas of Expertise

  • Sports Tech
  • Endurance Athletics
  • Startup Exits
  • Corporate Finance
  • Motivational Speaking
  • Athlete Sponsorships
  • Community Corner

José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento — Show Appearances

  • Mornings in the Lab (2024-10-30)

José Carlos (Charlie) Sarmiento — Signal Brief

Signal Score: 11/100

Generated 2026-04-16T01:25:44.223Z