A new stationary bike from Boston startup VirZoom requires an unusual accessory while you’re pedaling: a virtual-reality headset, so you can turn your workout into a virtual adventure.
Last week I pulled an Oculus developer headset over my eyes and settled onto the bicycle, which will retail for $250 when it ships next year. It looks almost exactly like a traditional folding bike except for the buttons and triggers scattered across its two handles.
Operación con músculo en el capital riesgo. Corpfin Capital ha vendido Ingesport, la empresa especializada en la gestión de polideportivos municipales, pese a la amenaza que suponía la llegada a los ayuntamientos de los gobiernos de Podemos y sus partidos satélites. El fondo ha vendido la empresa, que opera bajo la marca Go Fit, a Torreal y a Mutua Madrileña, que han pagado más de 200 millones de euros por la compañía.
An even bigger engineering team, more showrooms, and a plan to expand beyond exercise bikes are on the way for New York-based Peloton.
The company, which developed a stationary exercise bike with a built-in screen for streaming video classes, announced on Wednesday it got a $75 million investment from private equity firm Catterton to support its growth and development of new products. This puts Peloton’s total funding at $120 million, including a $30 million Series C round raised back in April.
ClassPass, the fitness startup that lets you pay $125 for unlimited fitness classes from dozens of gyms and boutiques, has just confirmed to TechCrunch that it raised $30 million in Series C funding led by Google Ventures.
Existing investors, including General Catalyst and Thrive, also participated in the round.
VentureBeat first reported the news yesterday, but ClassPass founder and CEO Payal Kadakia confirmed the raise to TechCrunch.
It looks like the team at Peloton is working up a sweat, having bagged another $30 million for its exercise bikes that stream video classes.
Earlier this month, Peloton closed on the Series C round led by True Ventures and Tiger Global Management. John Foley, CEO and founder of Peloton, says the new funding will help his company roll out more stores and build up its technical staff.
There are already countless devices which aim to enhance people’s fitness routines. Systems such as Gymtrack and Fitstar are just two such examples to have recently graced our pages. Now, two new products — the Atlas Wristband and the SmartSpot smart mirror — take it to the next level by recognizing multiple different exercises, offering tracking and feedback accordingly.
Running and music: two great pastimes that go great together. It’s no surprise that software is helping people connect those worlds.
Boston-based RunKeeper has updated its iOS fitness-tracking app to integrate the streaming-music service Spotify. That means Spotify’s premium users can now access their playlists and listen to songs from within the RunKeeper app. Spotify will also provide some fitness-related playlists in the app. RunKeeper says music integration is one of the most popular things its users have asked for over the years.
The consumer health tech business is moving toward a more high-touch approach to making people healthier. Instead of just providing people with step counts and caloric burn, some companies are now building platforms to provide more personalized training.
Case in point is Lift Digital, which operates a live video-based training platform that connects users with personal trainers. The platform can allow a trainer to connect with a client for a personalized workout on an iPad or TV when the client can’t make it to the gym.
Electrozyme is a new fitness wearable that analyzes the chemical makeup of athletes’ sweat to help them optimize performance and reduce risk of injury.
Consumers’ exercise regimes have been forever changed by fitness trackers such as Fitbit and Nike+ products, but these small devices don’t tell the whole story of what’s going on in different parts of the body during a workout. Now available for pre-order, Athos is a workout kit with embedded sensors that offer detailed and precise data about muscle growth and technique.
