Issue No. 305: Growing Up

Today's issue is presented by
Technogym logo
Healthy parents raise healthy kids.

Parent Trap

Parenting is a source of joy and purpose — but it’s not without challenges.
  • In the first year of parenthood, 61% experience exhaustion and 32% deal with anxiety.
  • 48% of parents report overwhelming stress most days, with 41% struggling to function.
  • Feeling lonely, two-thirds say the demands of parenting can be isolating.

Acknowledging the paradox, the surgeon general recently deemed parental stress a public health issue, calling for more societal support.

Sacrificing

It’s widely accepted that raising a family comes with high costs.

Unwilling to abandon savings, hobbies, careers, and social lives, almost half of US adults are forgoing kids, fueling record-low birth rates. But, experts are pushing back against the notion that parents should be martyrs.

Pointing to studies linking poor caregiver mental health to higher risk of general health problems in kids, they argue self-preservation is key to raising well-adjusted offspring.

Safeguarding. A 2022 Harvard study revealed parental anxiety ripples throughout the family, with ~40% of teens expressing concern over their guardians’ state of mind.

Worse, overly worried parents unintentionally rob kids of the chance to play, fail, problem-solve, and become self-sufficient adults. Even activities like walking and biking have been deemed dangerous — with the number of kids who travel alone to school falling 68% since 1969.

Urging balance, psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy raised $10.5M for her Good Inside app, teaching parents a “sturdy”—but not too gentle—method.

Spitting Image

Taking a multi-generational approach to wellness, family-focused companies and organizations believe helping parents will translate to better health outcomes for all.

Daycare. Only 55% of Americans live within an hour of extended family, and a record-high 70% of women with kids under five are working moms, creating a child care conundrum.

Outpacing inflation, child care prices are up 210% since the ’90s, eating a quarter of household income on average. While paid leave is a start, ongoing corporate support is crucial and profitable — saving businesses up to $13B in lost productivity.

An early advocate, Patagonia estimates it recoups up to 125% of onsite child care costs.

Sleepcare. Desperate, 79% of parents have given their child a substance to induce sleep.

A drug-free solution, Hatch built a cult-favorite brand on sleep-as-a-service, expanding from soothing infant sound machines to sunrise clocks for adults.

Calming midnight worries, Owlet’s wearable baby monitor and app track vitals, while Harbor offers remote night nannies and sleep coaches.

Healthcare. In the US, 40% of children have a chronic condition.

For parents, having on-demand access to care—for day-to-day and emergencies—is a game-changer. Filling a gap, pediatric healthtech startup Summer Health raised $12M in April.

Specializing, Coral Care connects kids with developmental disabilities to in-network services, Clarity Pediatrics focuses on ADHD, and Little Otter offers whole-family therapy.

Tackling lifestyle medicine, CPG startups are addressing infant and perinatal nutrition.

Soulcare. For kids and families, the pursuit of health shouldn’t come at the expense of fun.

Research shows positive childhood experiences and community traditions are foundational to long-term well-being, promoting resilience in the face of trauma.

Getting families moving together, SwingSesh’s backyard playset is part playground, part gym.

Scaling content, Youth Inc. helps parents navigate the ups and downs of organized sports.

Gamifying emotional intelligence, Mightier’s sensor-equipped games teach kids to self-regulate.

Punchline: Generational wellness starts with making parents a cross-sector priority. In an increasingly lonely world, where health misinformation, social media addiction, and burnout run rampant, they need all the help they can get.


🎙 On the Podcast

Headshot of Colin Watts, CEO of Thorne

Thorne CEO Colin Watts discusses the brand’s science-backed approach to supplementation.

Combining rigorously crafted nutritional products and biometric testing, Thorne is evolving beyond vitamins to deliver personalized health solutions for all.

We also cover: Thorne’s approach to innovation, expanding into diagnostics, and Colin’s insights from a 30-year career in consumer healthcare.

Listen to today’s episode here.


💸 Maven Clinic adds $125M for fertility care

Now valued at $1.7B, the investment will bolster Maven’s B2B fertility benefits platform, expanding end-to-end virtual care and scaling AI to complement its human-centered model.

Continuum. With 2K+ clients across 175 countries—including corporations like Amazon and Microsoft—the company guides women’s reproductive health journey from preconception to postmenopause.

Mind the gap. Pregnant or not, employed women in the US still face $15B higher out-of-pocket healthcare costs per year than male peers. And treatment for infertility, affecting one in six people globally, can cost upwards of $50K.

Attracting investors, women-focused startups want to balance the scales.

  • At-home hormone testing company Hertility received an investment from actress Emma Watson, surpassing $14M in total funding.
  • Flora Fertility just closed a $1.5M pre-seed round for its direct-to-consumer fertility benefits platform.
  • In June, B2B fertility benefits platform Progyny acquired German provider Apryl.

But, after whispers of unethical practices, hybrid clinic Kindbody is reportedly raising funds at a discount.

Takeaway: Along with fertility-tracking tech, clinics are reimagining care. Making progress, fertility benefits are becoming more common among employers, but reproductive health goes beyond family planning.


Presented by Technogym

💪 Discover Your Wellness Age

Progress starts with knowing where you stand.

Measure up. A first-of-its-kind full-body assessment, Technogym Checkup is the ultimate fitness test.

The equipment uses advanced tech to measure cardio, strength, body composition, balance, mobility, and brain function — combining cognitive and physical metrics to calculate a base Wellness Age.

Move forward. Taking personalized fitness to new heights, Technogym Checkup then syncs with an AI-powered Coach, which prescribes and adjusts workouts accordingly.

With a clear starting point and progressive programming, it’s never been easier to see gains.

Learn more about Technogym’s smart tech wellness solutions for gyms and homes.


🍹 Nonalcoholic brands capitalize on wellness culture

As booze-free beverages surge, major alcohol brands are building zero-proof portfolios.

  • Last week, Moët Hennessy invested in NA sparkling wine label French Bloom.
  • Absolut owner Pernod Ricard backed Lewis Hamilton’s NA tequila Almave in August.
  • In September, Smirnoff owner Diageo purchased Ritual Zero Proof, maker of alcohol-free spirits — adding to its 2019 acquisition of category leader Seedlip.

An early mover, NA beer brand Athletic Brewing added $50M in July and counts Keurig Dr Pepper as an investor.

Over the influence. With recent studies linking drinking to cancer and premature death, the WHO deemed any amount of alcohol unsafe, and the CDC revised guidelines accordingly.

Seeing new science, 45% of 21+ Gen Zers are staying sober, while habituated generations are cutting back with the help of NA alternatives, leading the sector to 29% volume growth in ‘23.

Keeping tabs. As premium non-alc options emerge, specialty stockists The Zero ProofThe New Bar, and Sèchey are playing tastemaker, with the latter tapped to curate Target’s NA selection.

Despite outpacing conventional, the young category accounts for just ~1% of global alcohol sales. Overly ambitious, alcohol-free chain Boisson went bankrupt earlier this year.

Looking ahead: Buy-in from major corporations signals a steady future for zero-proof. The more NA options available, the more normalized not drinking will be.


📰 News & Notes

  • Oura unveils Gen 4 smart ring.
  • Strava launches AI performance analysis in beta.
  • On opens first Aussie store amid retail expansion.
  • Nike adds Grind dumbbell to strength equipment lineup.
  • Pure Barre enters Mexico, its second international market.
  • Running app None to Run integrates movr for prehab, recovery.
  • Startup Q&A: FORM founder Dan Eisenhardt on AR swim training.
  • Movement breaks boost mental health, resilience in office workers.
  • CDC reports small decline in US obesity rate, its first drop in a decade.
  • Life expectancy stagnates in wealthy nations despite longevity advances.
  • Featured jobs: A fast-growing human performance company is hiring a Head of Growth and Sr Mngr of Podcast Partnerships.

💰 Money Moves

US 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦

26North Partners, a firm founded by sports investor Josh Harris, acquired Onelife Fitness, operator of 50+ health clubs.

Perelel, makers of women’s health supplements, acquired sexual and reproductive health company LOOM.

Fitnessmith acquired Gym Source USA, expanding its equipment sales business.

SnackFutures Ventures, the investment arm of Mondelēz Internationalacquired a minority stake in Urban Legend, a UK-based better-for-you doughnut maker.

Empathy Health Technologies, maker of addiction recovery app Sober Sidekick, secured $2.8M in seed funding.

Outpatient addiction treatment provider Eleanor Health raised $30M in funding.

Employee-facing skin health platform JOYA emerged from stealth with $5M in funding.

Dementia care platform Rippl raised $23M in a Series A round.

Indoor pickleball facility franchise The Picklr added an undisclosed sum from Chaifetz Group.

Booksy, a booking platform for small beauty and wellness businesses, landed undisclosed funding from CIBC Innovation Banking.

AI-enabled mental healthcare provider Resilience Lab acquired telepsychiatry platform Options MD.

Europe 🇪🇺

Moët Hennessy, a subsidiary of French luxury goods company LVMHacquired a minority stake in NA sparkling wine maker French Bloom.

Italian women’s nutraceuticals maker Sestre raised €400K ($439K) in follow-on funding.

OvarianVax, a project from University of Oxford, landed £600K ($786K) in grant funding to develop the world’s first ovarian cancer vaccine.

UK-based reproductive health company Hertility announced undisclosed funding from actress Emma Watson.

BreezeLabs, a Swiss startup monitoring athlete’s breathing rate via headphones, closed a pre-seed round.

Asia 🌏

Indian aromatherapy wellness brand Secret Alchemist raised $500K in a round led by Inflection Point Ventures and Vinay Bansal.

Korean GPS-enabled sports analytics company Fitogether secured KRW 9.7B ($7.2M).

str8bat, Indian maker of smart cricket bats, raised Rs 29.3 crore ($3.5M) in a Series A round.

Japanese pharma company Daiichi Sankyo acquired sports nutrition brand DNS.

 

Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen. 

Get the latest health and fitness industry news

Keep up with industry news, trends, investment activity, and job openings — in one weekly newsletter.

    No thanks.