Bathhouse Raises $35M, Plots Expansion as Social Sauna Boom Scales

The NYC-based operator of communal sauna and cold plunge experiences is plotting nationwide expansion, including a Los Angeles opening

Bathhouse, a New York City sauna and contrast therapy operator with three locations, has raised $35 million, fuel for expansion that puts the company at the front of the fast-scaling social sauna category. 

The round, which closed last May and was first reported by Beauty Independent, was led by Imaginary Ventures, a venture capital firm behind Skims, Daily Harvest, NA beer brand Bero, Lucky Energy and more. It included 28 investors, among them Plus Capital athlete collective members Klay Thompson, Marcus Smart and D.K. Metcalf.

The wellness brand plans to expand to 10 locations nationwide, growing its footprint in New York and the tri-state area. Its first stop will be on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, along with plans for Chicago and Nashville, the publication said.

Bathhouse recently opened its third location on Atlantic Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn, which is the host venue for Aufguss USA Nationals. The event, a competitive sauna ritual championship imported from Europe, runs inside what organizers say is the largest event sauna in the country, built to hold more than 100 guests per session on May 19 and 20.

On May 21, the competition continues at Bathhouse Flatiron with the Modern Classic Cup, a more ritual-driven format.

The interest in Aufguss — a multisensory ritual with heat, essential oils and music — is showing up in this year’s competition, where the number of competitors has more than doubled, organizers said. Top performers will represent Team USA before heading to the Aufguss World Championship to compete for the top spot.

“We’ve always believed the sauna should be a social, immersive experience — not just something you pass through,” Bathhouse co-founder Travis Talmadge said. “Aufguss brings that to life in a powerful way, and this new space allows us to do it at a completely different scale.”

Aufguss ceremonies are held daily at Bathhouse locations, which also offer massages, body scrubs and all-access day passes that include use of thermal pools, steam rooms and cold plunges. Guests can also dine onsite, with a restaurant serving health-conscious bites.

Cold Plunge, Hot Market

The cedar bench is getting crowded.

Bathhouse competes with a growing crop of contrast therapy-based social wellness concepts, including Othership, the Canadian-born brand blending guided sauna classes, breathwork and cold plunges with social programming as a healthier nightlife alternative.

Othership raised $8.5 million last year to support U.S. expansion, including a second New York City location in Williamsburg and one coming soon in the Upper East Side.

Sauna House, a Charlotte-based franchise, has committed $9.6 million for its expansion, with plans to open a minimum of three new locations per year over the next five years. New locations will have a sauna and plunge pool, as well as warm pools, heated furniture, salt rooms and spaces for massages and body scrub appointments.