While some states are slowly reopening amid Covid-19, many gyms and indoor fitness facilities remain shuttered.
The fitness industry has been hard hit by the pandemic, as traditional gyms and studios have been replaced by virtual programs and instructors.
And, even when gyms are allowed to reopen, many people won’t feel safe enough yet to return to an in-person setting. So, virtual fitness programs will continue to thrive as people look to get in, or stay in, shape.
You’re likely familiar with giants like Peloton and Mirror, but there are many other options if you’re looking to get a socially-distanced sweat.
In our roundup below, we asked writers from Inno’s 14 markets to share details on one fitness or health startup and what it is doing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Madison // Atlanta Inno
Sweatpack is an Atlanta-based fitness startup that connects you with others in your community who are interested in the same physical activity, goals and budget for your workouts. The startup has gained some traction, having graduated from Atlanta Tech Village and more recently joining the BTG Network Accelerator. So how exactly does a startup designed to connect others in-person survive during a pandemic? Digital workouts. The startup just had a successful workout-meets-social-mixer on Icebreaker as a way to connect members digitally and get their sweat on.
Brent // Austin Inno
In some ways, Austin fitness tech startup Ladder was ready for the pandemic a year before it happened. All of the fitness app’s interactions are digital -- although if you are a member at a gym where a coach works, you can set up face-to-face meetings to supplement the digital ones. Its app has a marketplace where it matches trainers and coaches with people who want to lose weight or have other fitness goals. The app helps professional trainers find supplemental income that fits with their schedules, and it gives consumers personalized, at-home workouts, as well as daily wellness guidance.
After moving from Boston to Austin a year ago, the startup, which has raised an undisclosed amount of funding, had NFL players including Earl Thomas and Trent Brown train at its South Austin facility before the pandemic hit. It also launched an NFL-level workout regimen. And, since the pandemic began, it’s helping gym-goers nationwide stay active by adding new trainers and coaches to its platform.
Sri // BostInno
Harvard Square-based Hydrow, a maker of connected rowers that allow users to digitally row with professionals, is also one of BostInno’s Startups to Watch in 2020. Formerly known as True Rowing, Hydrow was founded in 2017 by former U.S. National Team Rowing Coach and entrepreneur Bruce Smith. The company wants to recreate an on-river, outdoor experience for users at home. With plenty of Americans having now spent the last two months largely at home—and out of the gym—folks are getting antsy. For those who are more athletically inclined than they are tech-savvy, Hydrow’s content production team is also looking for athletes to lead remote workout sessions. To that end, the company is hiring, and is looking for a senior Android developer and a senior iOS developer.
Elise // Charlotte Inno
SweatNET is a fitness marketing and events company that uses an app platform to connect members to dozens of local fitness studios, instructors and events throughout Charlotte. The company also gives users the opportunity to stream workouts, yoga classes and meditations online, a move that’s proven very successful as studios across the city shut down because of Covid-19. Founded in 2018 by Grace Gallagher and Erin Garber, SweatNET has expanded its reach to more than 10 cities and continues to grow.
Katherine // Chicago Inno
Chicago-based Charge Running, which launched about three years ago, is an app that allows users to virtually participate in live runs with coaches and other runners. Founded by Chicago natives Matthew Knippen, Julie Wallock and Rorie Graman, the app gives users a schedule of live runs to join, which are each virtually coached by one of the startup’s trainers. With headphones in, runners can hear music, and receive motivational and personalized feedback from one of 10 coaches, which Charge Running employs as independent contractors.
Maddy // Cincy Inno
Everyone should be able to workout if they want to. That’s the philosophy behind IncludeHealth, a Cincinnati startup creating accessible fitness equipment for people with disabilities. The company is currently one of six finalists for a $50,000 Orgain Grant for Greater Good. The company told Cincy Inno that if it is one of the three winners, it will donate its technology to OhioHealth’s upcoming Neuroscience Wellness facility. By doing so, IncludeHealth hopes to “ensure people of all ages and abilities have long term access to health and wellness.”
Nick // Colorado Inno
Denver-based Exer officially launched from stealth this month with its first app, the Perfect Plank trainer on the App Store and on Product Hunt. The application identifies 18 to 20 key areas on the body to ensure you’re doing a plank with correct form. With real-time feedback, the AI can give you tips on how to improve your form for the exercise. There is no additional hardware required, as your phone’s camera is the only thing needed and user data stays on the phone and nothing gets sent to the cloud. This first application is a test for Exer to prove the applicability of its technology, as it plans to roll out a series of apps for different exercises and routines in the future.
Sara // DC Inno
Maryland’s BurnAlong Inc. hasn’t taken a breather during the nationwide shift to remote work, instead doubling in size during the first quarter of this year. The health tech startup is now expanding its reach and offerings on the heels of a $4 million raise, to get more of its corporate wellness programs to more people. The company’s platform, provided to businesses as a benefit for their employees, has bolstered its virtual course offerings — including physical, emotional and financial wellness classes, in addition to its staple fitness routines.
And the growth doesn’t stop there: BurnAlong is now building out its team, hiring for positions across engineering, product, sales, account management and content partnership. That’s necessary, ahead of a planned Series A round later this year, while also introducing new product features and broadening its partner and customer bases, co-CEO Daniel Freedman told us in early May. “Social isolation and loneliness is a growing challenge, and companies are understanding they need to both provide programming — and the social motivation to do it.”
Maddy // Minne Inno
Wellbeats was well-positioned for the Covid-19 pandemic. The company serves the fitness club market with on-demand workout videos. It also works with employers to offer videos to employees as part of company wellness programs. Since March, the company has started offering new videos for those working from home. The workouts typically require little to no specialty equipment and are short enough to fit in between conference calls.
Kevin // NTX Inno
With social distancing it’s uncertain whether team sports will return anytime soon. However, for those looking to hone their skills on the gridiron, Dallas-based Monarc has your back with a robotic quarterback. The startup, founded in 2016 by Nate Pierotti and Igor Karlicic, has developed The Seeker – a training robot that can simulate passes, punts and kicks. The device can be used in manual mode or robotic, which with a wearable device can track a user’s movements to throw the perfect pass at up to 65 miles per hour. There’s also a way for coaches to track how often the machine is used. The company has seen The Seeker used by SMU and a number of Big 10 and SEC teams.
Rowan // Rhode Island Inno
Founded in 2004, Providence-based Virgin Pulse offers a suite of digital employee health, wellbeing and engagement solutions to corporations. Its pitch is that the better the health of individual employees, the less companies will pay for health care and absenteeism. Plus, healthier employees are more productive. Earlier this month, Virgin Pulse debuted "VP Passport," a tool designed to help companies bring employees back into workplaces safely as Covid-19 restrictions begin to ease. The company has been on a bit of a shopping spree lately, acquiring five health-related startups in the last five years, including Providence-based wellness startup ShapeUp in 2015 and Coventry-based national corporate wellness provider Preventure in 2018. In January, PE Hub reported that Virgin Pulse's private equity owner, Marlin Equity Partners, was looking to sell the company for more than $2 billion—which would make it Rhode Island's first unicorn.
Elise // Richmond Inno
Richmond-based startup Kinis produces performance footwear that’s made to feel like the wearer is barefoot. Founded in 2018 by Vincent Vu, Kinis has two sock-shoe hybrid products on the market – The flagship line called Nomad, which is for wear in a gym or yoga studio, and the Lucy, which launched in April and is a more casual shoe designed for walking around outside. According to the company’s website, the shoe offers necessary foot protection but allows the wearer to feel the contours of the ground and “that primordial connection without going completely rogue as a barefoot enthusiast.”
Lauren // Tampa Bay Inno
Peerfit has become one of the biggest startups in the Tampa Bay region in the past few years, by number of employees, funding and national reach. The company was originally launched as a way for employers to let workers connect and take fitness classes with one another, and eventually tapped into the older Medicare population. Now that coronavirus has made visiting the gym a bit more difficult, the company is relying on online classes and its "fit kit" of workout equipment delivered to Peerfit members' homes.
Jim // Wisconsin Inno
Wodbottom, a women’s fitness apparel brand based in Verona, designs activewear including athletic shorts, leggings, tops and other fitness accessories. As the startup began to launch its brand, it gathered customer feedback and spent time in fitness forums and in Facebook groups to uncover pain points to help refine its offerings. What they found, says co-founder Emily Ruyle, was that many traditional apparel brands weren’t appealing to the “strong” woman.
“Throughout time, women’s bodies were changing and traditional brands weren’t keeping up with the changes,” Ruyle says. “We accommodate the larger thighs or butt. We wanted to make women feel strong and confident. That gave us the signal that this was something we could be really great at.” Last year, the company was accepted into the gBeta Madison business accelerator program. And in May, it raised a $250,000 seed round.
