Alter
Personal training is getting more personal.
What’s happening: Five years in development, Alter launched a personalized fitness platform using DNA to tailor exercise, wellness, and stress management programs.
Founded by Blake Johnson and Scott Cohen—the team behind billion-dollar orthodontics startup Byte—Alter’s approach revolves around genetic predisposition.
How it works: After mailing a cheek-swab DNA test, Alter analyzes 13 traits marking each users’ response to workouts, dieting, sleep, and stress to develop daily plans.
Powering its ecosystem, in-house coaches deliver training, recovery, and nutrition consults via a 55lb smart screen and app, while the hardware’s sensors and an accompanying wearable create an always-on feedback loop.
Why it matters: To date, at-home fitness mirrors have struggled to keep users engaged.
- lululemon shuttered MIRROR after paying $500M for the smart screen company.
- Spanish screenmaker VAHA sold to nutrition company Bioniq, and Chinese challenger Fiture ended new content creation and exited the US.
- After receiving NYSE delist warnings, FORME acquired vertical climbing brand CLMBR to boost its standing.
Downsizing, Tempo swapped its connected screen for smartphones, integrating wearable data, body scans, and camera-tracked workouts.
Takeaway: Combining digital fitness with personal diagnostics, Alter hopes its screens will become an everyday portal to health optimization.
