You can’t always force or predict opportunities. It’s about being prepared for when those doors of opportunity open.
That’s how Kevin Dawidowicz, co-founder and president of CoachMePlus, thinks about his business’ growth potential in the fitness industry. The company, founded in 2012, uses technology and data to personalize fitness and enhance relationships between exercisers and coaches.
In other words, while data can tell users when to go to bed or what to eat, information alone can’t take into account an individual’s schedule, responsibilities and pre-existing stressors.
“Having that personal trainer or coach or something on the other side to help me use that information properly is where the secret sauce is,” he said.
There are three core customer types, in Dawidowicz’s mind: government organizations, such as the Department of Defense; large organizations, such as professional sports leagues, health care organizations and corporate wellness groups; and the fitness industry.
CoachMePlus is focused on marketing to the latter, and good timing and a recently closed $1 million seed round will help it do just that. The startup added a product marketing manager and digital marketing manager with the funds, bringing its team to 15 total, to target the fitness industry.
The company’s business proposition lies in the idea of hybrid exercise, where people’s fitness goes beyond the time they’re physically in the gym. It’s a notion that many were forced to adapt to during the Covid-related closures and restrictions.
“That’s a newer concept the fitness industry wasn’t really ready to accept until the pandemic happened,” Dawidowicz said.
The business’ $1 million round included investments from Rochester Angel Network, Buffalo Angels and two of ACV Auctions' co-founders, Jack Greco and Dan Magnuszewski.
Already, the pandemic has led to fitness-related inbound leads jumping from a few a day before 2020 to 25 to 30 a day when the health crisis hit. Now, as more people return to gyms, the market is even more ripe with potential, according to Dawidowicz.
“We didn’t have to do anything but be ready for the market to accept what we’re doing,” he said.
The overall company, not just including the fitness industry, has grown rapidly over the last few years. CoachMePlus was pulling about 6 million data points a month about two years ago and is now collecting roughly 37 million data points each month from 500,000 users.
Though Dawidowicz sees the most potential in the fitness market, the startup has also made strides with other types of customers, including government organizations. The business recently completed a U.S. Army Applications Laboratory pilot program where its technology was used at three separate military sites with a total of about 9,000 soldiers. The Army will evaluate the results and will extend one of the three participating business’ services for another year.
CoachMePlus landed its first military contract back in 2017, in part by partnering with TIAG, an innovative technology provider.
It helped that the startup was working with a company that had two decades of experience supporting the Department of Defense information technology and military initiatives.
“One thing I learned a long time ago: If you find the right people to fill the gaps of what you don’t know, you have a much better chance of being successful of what you’re going after,” Dawidowicz said.
CoachMePlus is one of 31 local companies to acknowledge a private, growth-oriented round of funding this year. The list includes Torch Labs ($40 million), Centivo ($30 million), Circuit Clinical ($29 million), Kangarootime ($26 million), SparkCharge ($22 million), CleanFiber ($8.5 million), PostProcess Technologies ($5 million), VeriTX ($4.5 million), HELIXintel ($4 million), Blockfusion ($2.6 million), ShearShare ($2.3 million), Azuna ($3 million), Patient Pattern ($2 million), OneBridge Benefits ($2 million), BetterMynd ($1 million), Empire Hemp Co. ($1 million), CaHill Tech ($1 million), Buffalo Film Works ($750,000), FavorDrop ($725,000), Ellicottville Greens ($300,000), Swift Rails ($255,000) AireXpert ($125,000), Arbol ($110,000), Lemma Labs ($100,000), Timberhut (undisclosed), Flox (undisclosed), Ognomy (undisclosed), Vicora/Ampullae (undisclosed), Wellconnected ($550,000) and CoachMePlus ($1 million).
