Fitness News World: What’s Trending This Week?
The next Air Jordans?; Former matchmaker launches snacks brand; Vegano, Canada’s first, completely plant-based meal-kit delivery service completes Series A funding; Forward Health, a revolutionary healthcare system, raises $225M and more…
A lot trended this week in the fitness news world. Without wasting any time, let’s dive right in.
Could these new shoes be the Air Jordans of Tennis?
Some have called Roger Federer the Michael Jordan of tennis. Federer, the all-time great tennis ace, who’s been compared to His Airness for his incredible athleticism on the court may start drawing comparisons for his work off it, too. Federer recently helped design a new tennis shoe he can only hope becomes as ubiquitous and successful as Jordan’s branded footwear.
The Roger Centre Court is a tennis-themed, all-day sneaker produced by On, a Swiss running shoe maker that launched in 2010 with the aim of revolutionizing the jogging game. The Roger looks like the classic Adidas Stan Smith tennis shoes got an update, incorporating a clean look with simple, sleek lines.
“The minimalist design and easy comfort of On’s shoes had me hooked years ago,” Federer says. “I wanted to infuse the tennis sneaker with the same lightness, comfort and agility for every day.”
Swiss watches are considered the best for their impeccable timekeeping and craftmanship. With Federer the front man, perhaps Swiss sneakers will be due for some recognition, too. Meet THE ROGER Centre Court here.
Every Stitch Considered: Nike’s new lifestyle collection
Forced to work from home and shift to our current, solitary and remote professional existence, many of us have been wearing workout gear for work for the last year. So it makes perfect sense that one of the leading athletic apparel producers is going to start making more work-friendly wear.
Fitness news world has it that Nike’s new lifestyle collection called Every Stitch Considered seeks to blend the comforts of workout gear with data the company used to learn more about fit and function. The end result is a line of Nike button-ups and cardigans and fitted pants and sweaters that are built to move and lay more perfectly with the way we move.
The collection first dropped in October with new items, including coats, still debuting. For more on Nike’s new apparel line, click here.
Former Matchmaker launches snack brand Belliwelli amid soaring interest in low fodmap diet
A former matchmaker is helping people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) find the right snack matches. Katie Wilson, a chief dating strategist at the dating website Match, has gone into the nutrition business with her husband, Nick.
The Wilsons launched BelliWelli in March, joining an emerging segment in the industry. Investor interest in the low-FODMAP (low in sugars that cause intestinal distress) sector is on the rise but with limited producers. Katie Wilson, who suffers from IBS herself, concocted the specialty bars with her husband in their kitchen. Read more about BelliWelli’s investors and early growth here.
Vegano, Canada’s first, totally plant-based meal-kit delivery service completes funding round
Also in the world of fitness news: Vegano, Canada’s first, totally plant-based meal-kit delivery service, announced this month it completed a $4.2 million Series A funding round. The company has now raised a total of $6 million since it was founded a year ago. The company plans to launch a vegan marketplace in April. “Our goal is to make high-quality plant-based food more accessible to the general public,” says Conor Power, Vegano founder and CEO. “With the launch of our marketplace, Vegano members will be able to order everything from ready-made soups and sauces to vegan protein powder.” Read more here.
Palo Alto-based Uplift Labs announces funding from existing investors
In sports, they say you’re either hurt, or you’re injured. The difference, the old saying goes, is that when you’re hurt you can play and when you’re injured, you can’t. Uplift Labs wants to change some of that old adage. The Palo Alto-based firm seeks to improve how athletes, coaches and trainers work together to manage injuries. Uplift announced $3 million in funding this week from existing investors that it says it will use to develop a remote training and coaching platform that more closely resembles in-person sessions.
As the world shifted to a more remote environment across all industries last year, technology has not kept up with demand. If you’ve sat through a crowded Zoom family reunion or a remote medical examination, you’ve felt the pain of long distance communication.
Uplift’s technology includes a Movement Intelligence Platform that can analyze movement to focus on where form and technique need to be improved. Like many firms, Uplift’s services were apparent over the last year and it has expanded from only working with baseball players to now include many other sports and coaching needs. Read more about Uplift Labs here.
Forward Health, a revolutionary healthcare system raises Series D Funding
Forward Health, a revolutionary healthcare system based in San Francisco, announced $225 million in Series D funding. Forward Health aims to empower doctors with technology and data to monitor and guide long-term health. The funding will help to expand the company’s operations across the country and introduce new programs focused on heart health, cancer detection, COVID-19 stress, anxiety and weight loss management.
“The pandemic has further exposed the limitations of traditional healthcare, and the band-aid of telehealth alone does not solve the problem. We’re grateful that our investors have recognized this and are backing a new healthcare system that requires no insurance and no copay,” says Adrian Aoun, CEO and co-founder of Forward Health. “In addition to serving as your single-source for everyday, primary care, our insight-led care helps identify issues early so you can stay healthy for the long-term.” Read more here.