Quell is a London-based startup that sells resistance-band hardware combined with gamified software to make home workouts more engaging. The system launched with the fighting game Shardfall and the company plans to develop at least two additional titles. Quell is taking preorders at $249 with plans to ship this year. The company does not currently offer a subscription but is exploring that avenue. Management says the Series A will fund software expansion and a headcount increase from about 30 to over 50, with hires focused on game and core platform development. Quell has discussed VR as a possible future avenue but has no specific plan to add VR functionality at this time. Quell develops a hardware-plus-software fitness system centered on the Gauntlet, a harness with built-in sensors and customizable resistance bands that translate punches, dodges and other movements into game controls. Its games and hardware are initially targeted at PC, Mac and mobile platforms, with console support listed on the roadmap but deferred due to hardware-approval complexity. The company is building an in-house game studio and has hired industry talent such as Peter Cornelius as Game Production director to create immersive experiences that encourage natural movement. Quell expects its first hardware to ship by the end of 2021 and is working on transitioning prototypes to production, improving adjustability and expanding the set of exercises its sensors can detect. Financially, Quell closed a $3 million seed round and ran a successful Kickstarter that raised £501,341 (about $670,000) from nearly 3,000 backers; its valuation increased from an initial $10 million target to $15 million by the final close.

Total raised

$13M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Feb 2023