Participated · Series C · Feb 2022

Future provides a digital fitness coaching service that matches each member with a fitness coach who creates interactive workout programs through the Future app, tracks progress via an Apple Watch, and communicates daily via text. The company was co-founded by Rishi Mandal (a Google and NASA alum) and Justin Santamaria (a former Apple engineer who led engineering on FaceTime and iMessage). Future plans to use new funding to accelerate marketing, expand product development, and grow into other categories of health coaching. As part of the latest financing the company also announced a content partnership with Kate and Oliver Hudson to produce, co-host and distribute a six-episode podcast series. Future is based in San Francisco and has raised more than $110M to date. Future operates a subscription-based fitness app that virtually teams users with real-life fitness coaches for personalized training. The service charges about $150 per month for its coaching subscription. TechCrunch described the product as a pricey subscription targeted at users doing at-home workouts. The company raised $24 million in a Series B round, reported amid an at-home fitness boom. The coverage frames the raise as part of increased investor interest in digital and at-home fitness offerings during the COVID-19 era. The article did not provide operating metrics such as revenue or user counts. Future is a subscription fitness app that pairs users with real human trainers who build personalized workout plans and message clients throughout the day. It supplies users with an Apple Watch to track activity and integrates coach feedback into daily routines. The service charges $150 per month and includes a one-month money-back guarantee that has been redeemed only once. In beta, Future reported 95% of users stayed for three months and 85% remained at six months. Founders Rishi Mandal and Justin Santamaria designed Future in 2017; the product includes an in-app Shop and the team sees opportunities to partner with fitness and health brands. The app emphasizes proactive coach check-ins, personalized audio/video guidance, and retention-driven coaching as its core value proposition.

Participated · Series A · Jul 2021

Obé Fitness is a premium subscription home workout platform built around personality-driven, “entertrainment” classes delivered by charismatic instructors and influencers. The service is available on iOS and Android, is castable to TVs, and is offered on Samsung smart TVs. It has expanded beyond bodyweight classes to include equipment such as free weights and trampolines. At a $27 price point the company positions itself at the higher end of the market compared with Apple Fitness+ and Peloton’s monthly fees. Founded in 2018, Obé saw its userbase grow fourfold during the pandemic, though it does not disclose absolute subscriber counts. The company says the new capital will be used for team growth, awareness, and key business development initiatives.

Led · Equity · Dec 2019

Proteus Motion develops a hardware and software fitness system that uses patented strength-measurement software to guide users through 4-minute physical assessments and a resistance training experience called 3D Resistance™. The company’s systems are installed in 41 U.S. states and two Canadian territories and are used by high-profile athletes across MLB, the NBA, the NFL and professional golf. Led by founder and CEO Sam Miller, Proteus Motion plans to use new capital to expand the team, scale production capabilities and grow its software offerings. In conjunction with the financing, industry executive Paul Byrne joined the company’s board of directors. Financially, Proteus Motion announced an $8.5M Series A and has raised $17M to date. The company positions its product for elite athletic and commercial fitness markets through combined hardware and analytics. Proteus Motion is a NYC-based sports and healthtech company (formerly Boston Biomotion) that has developed patented hardware and software delivering intelligent strength training and rehabilitation via unlimited three-dimensional movements. Its system is designed to strengthen, optimize and restore sport movements, protect joints and ligaments, and enable faster recovery. The technology has gained particular traction in the pitching community for arm care, improving biomechanics, pitching velocity and rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery. Proteus’s products are used by teams in MLB, NHL and top NCAA athletic programs, as well as prominent training and rehabilitation facilities worldwide. The company offers a software subscription that lets trainees access training content, track trends and receive personalized insights, leveraging 50 million data points captured to date. Proteus plans to use new funding to develop and manufacture its software products, conduct R&D on Version 2 of the Proteus system, and grow its subscription user base.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2019

Dignitas operates professional esports teams across multiple games and is the public-facing brand for the company’s competitive teams. The organization fields seven teams, including a League of Legends LCS and Academy team acquired via a merger with Clutch Gaming. New Meta Entertainment (NME) was formed as a parent to own Dignitas’ esports teams, a content and marketing division, and an investment arm. NME’s content business will work with influencers across gaming, sports, music and pop culture to produce video, audio and experiential projects. The investment arm will back startups in the digital sports and entertainment ecosystem, with U.GG cited as its first investment. The Series A Preferred Stock funding of $30 million helped pay in part for the Clutch Gaming merger. The company currently has 34 staff members and 38 professional esports players. Dignitas opened a 3,000-square-foot gaming and content production studio in Newark, NJ, and NME plans a similar Los Angeles facility in 2020.