Case Study: Laravel for a Jiu-Jitsu SaaS
WhichMat.com is a free SaaS platform designed for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors and coaches. It helps users track their mat assignments and match schedules in real time during tournaments – a pain point that previously required juggling multiple event apps, PDFs, or haphazard text chains. Jiu-Jitsu events often use proprietary or outdated platforms for managing matches and competitor flow. This created a huge information gap for competitors, coaches, and spectators – especially at high-stakes events with multiple mats and divisions running concurrently.
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The Challenge
Fragmented Tournament Information Across Platforms: Jiu-Jitsu events used a mix of outdated systems and disconnected tools, forcing competitors to check multiple apps, PDFs, or messages just to track match info.
No Real-Time Visibility into Match Flow: Competitors and coaches had no way to follow match timing or mat changes live, leading to confusion, missed matches, and constant stress during events.
Limited API Standards from Tournament Providers: Integrating data from different global tournament platforms (IBJJF, Smoothcomp, etc.) meant handling inconsistent formats, update intervals, and reliability issues.
Need for Scalable, Reliable Infrastructure During Live Events: Major tournaments created sudden traffic spikes, requiring a backend that could perform under pressure without downtime or lag.
Our Solution
Custom API Integrations Across Event Platforms: Built robust integrations with multiple tournament provider APIs, allowing WhichMat to pull live data globally in varying formats and normalize it for user display.
Mobile-Optimized Real-Time UX: Designed a Vue.js frontend with live match tracking that auto-refreshes mat data without user action—perfect for mat-side or bleacher usage.
High-Performance Laravel Backend: Deployed a scalable, queue-driven Laravel infrastructure capable of supporting thousands of concurrent users and real-time sync logic.
Automation-Driven Data Sync Engine: Created backend tools to continuously process, normalize, and serve live mat data with minimal latency—eliminating the need for manual updates or refreshes.
Tech Stack:
Results
20,000+ Registered Users with 2,000–3,000 MAUs: Trusted by both top competition teams and grassroots practitioners, WhichMat has become a go-to resource during tournament weekends.
Reliable Performance Across Hundreds of Events: The system scales smoothly and consistently—even during the busiest IBJJF weekends with dozens of mats and brackets running in parallel.
Streamlined Match-Day Logistics: Users can now follow real-time match assignments without flipping between apps or digging through PDFs, improving prep and reducing stress.
Monetization Through Sponsor Integrations: Built-in sponsor placement tools allow WhichMat to generate revenue while giving brands visibility at high-profile events.