ATN Week in Review: Celebrities Are Serious About the Business of Wellness
This week, we break down fitness and wellness-focused business moves by Tom Brady and Dua Lipa, as well as recent investments to grow the sport of padel in the US
A-list celebrities are getting in on the business of fitness and wellness like never before.
Just this week, Tom Brady joined AI-powered robotics massage company Aescape as the company’s chief innovation officer, where the NFL legend will play an active role in product development. As part of the deal, Aescape also acquired Brady’s recovery and pliability protocols, which the New York-based startup will integrate into its robotics and AI platform.
Not to be outdone, pop star Dua Lipa joined Frame Fitness as co-founder and chief creative officer. A connected Pilates brand, Frame Fitness makes a compact, $4,999 at-home reformer. With Lipa on board, the company plans to build its brick-and-mortar presence by launching standalone reformer studios and expanding its presence in hotels.
Celebrity endorsements in fitness and wellness are nothing new, but the fact that Brady and Lipa joined their respective brands as C-suite executives and not mere spokespeople signals that the industry has mainstream financial appeal.
Padel Backers Gear Up To Challenge Pickleball in US
Pickleball might not be top dog in America’s racket-sports scene for much longer.
Epic Padel, a Virginia-based padel club operator and investment company, raised an oversubscribed $10 million seed round to launch brick-and-mortar clubs in the U.S. and make investments across the sport’s wider ecosystem.
Padel — essentially a cross between tennis and squash — is highly popular in countries like Spain, Italy and Argentina, but it’s yet to truly take off in the States. There are some reasons to believe in a padel revolution in the U.S., however.
A recent report from Syracuse University predicts explosive growth for the racket sport by the end of this decade, and investors are starting to take notice. Padel Haus, an operator of padel clubs based in New York City, raised a $7 million Series B round this summer as it plots nationwide expansion. Meanwhile, Miami is readying a mega outdoor facility, while the Pro Padel League (PPL) reeled in $10 million for its 10-team, North America-based league.
More news & notes:
- Tonal adds a celebrity of its own in popular yoga and Pilates trainer
- Pura raises $15M as cane-sugar soda trend takes off
- Planet Fitness franchisee makes major acquisition deal in Midwest
- Echelon is bringing back its faith-based fitness class series
- The Athletic Clubs draws crowd for outdoor fitness competition in NYC