Issue No. 325: Red Zone
A smart ecosystem transforming healthcare through exercise.
Red light therapy strikes gold.
New Hue
A form of photobiomodulation therapy, red light wavelengths stimulate subcutaneous tissue, boosting cellular function to promote healing.
Once reserved for medical use, advances in LED technology have improved efficacy and precision — at a fraction of the price.
Despite limited research, red light therapy (RLT) for wellness taps into a $1.8B market — with 34% of US consumers trying it for performance, beauty, and more.
Bright spot. Altering mitochondria, photobiomodulation impacts muscle mass, injury prevention, and recovery.
In small studies, treatments boosted athletic endurance, increased max strength up to 55%, and helped injured athletes recover twice as fast.
Adapting, Therabody added infrared lights to its compression boots. Endorsed by Clemson Athletics, TheraLight scaled tanning-style beds to 1K partners in 15+ countries.
Laser focused. Reducing inflammation, red light may be effective for MSK conditions like back pain, tendonitis, and fibromyalgia.
Erasing aches, wearables from Kineon and Lumaflex support pain-free movement, while Remedy Place’s self-massage roller adds beams for greater release.
Balance beam. Promising to regulate mood, stress, and sleep, RLT is finding new use cases.
Packaging benefits, brands like BON CHARGE, Da Vinci Medical, and Huberman-backed Joovv sell whole-body light panels, while Sunlighten and Clearlight integrate them into saunas.
Skin deep. Capable of clearing up psoriasis, rejuvenating skin, and erasing wrinkles, RLT is making waves in anti-aging and beauty categories.
Elevating from wands to face masks, Omnilux won over biohackers, while Therabody’s adds blue light for acne and vibration for circulation.
Defying age, HigherDOSE’s LED-line ballcap stimulates hair regrowth. Brainwashing, Neuronic’s helmet helps Alzheimer’s patients stave off cognitive decline.
LED Astray
A catch, experts aren’t sure why light therapy works, and available studies have been small, with inconsistent application methods — laser vs. LED, pulsed vs. continuous.
But like electrolyte drinks, prebiotic soda, and contrast therapy — overly optimistic wellness consumers often favor intuition over facts.
Go go gadget. Easily transferable, broadly applicable, and relatively low-risk, more brands will use LEDs to supercharge products or enter new categories — with autoimmune diseases, depression, endometriosis, and blood glucose all in play.
Looking ahead: As next-gen diagnostics quantify recovery, red light therapy could illuminate the efficacy of alternative medicine.
🎙 On the Podcast
Little Spoon co-founder and CEO Ben Lewis discusses revamping childhood nutrition.
Packaging healthy convenience, Little Spoon delivers fresh meals and snacks straight to parents’ doors.
We also cover: Problems with traditional baby food, remaining DTC, and leading with transparency.
Listen to today’s episode here
🦾 Aescape redefines recovery
The AI-powered robotic massage company raised $83M, led by Valor Equity Partners.
High-tech. Using real-time muscle mapping technology and customizable pressure settings, Aescape offers a fully automated, on-demand experience.
Growth mode. In development for seven years before launching publicly in 2024, the robotics maker has seen strong traction in its first six months.
Following a 10-location debut, Equinox is adding Aescape massage tables to 60 gyms — joining partnerships with pro sports teams, longevity clinics, and luxury hotels like Ritz-Carlton.
Helping hand. As recovery becomes a tenet of longevity, the $19B massage therapy industry faces a shortage of 15K+ therapists. Struggling to recruit new masseuses, 25% of spas have adopted tech-driven services like percussive therapy.
Punchline: From ice baths to IVs, spas are getting an upgrade — and Aescape aims to make robotic massage part of the standard protocol.
🔮 Shaping industry change
EGYM has a clear vision for the future of health and fitness.
With connected fitness equipment, AI-powered gym software, and comprehensive corporate wellness offerings — it’s leading the shift toward proactive, preventative health for everyone.
For corporations. Partnering with companies worldwide, EGYM Wellpass improves employee health by expanding access to premier fitness and health facilities.
For gyms. Upgrading fitness floors, EGYM equips operators with smart equipment and AI tools to create hyper-personalized training plans for every exerciser.
All together, its ecosystem is transforming healthcare through exercise.
Learn more about its intelligent solutions at EGYM.com.
🚀 Biograph breaks new ground
The healthspan-focused clinic co-founded by Dr. Peter Attia launched publicly, revealing plans to open in NYC’s Financial District this spring.
Head start. Expanding beyond its San Mateo flagship, up to six additional domestic and international locations are on the roadmap.
On the lookout. Members undergo a six-hour assessment targeting chronic disease drivers with in-house MRI and CT scans, plus Galleri cancer tests and Levels CGMs.
Complete evals include DEXA body scans, mobility screening, and testing for grip strength and VO2 max.
Care+. Upgrading the standard checkup, Biograph’s comprehensive risk scores come with nutrition and fitness coaching, while its $15K/year premium tier features quarterly rechecks.
Takeaway: Going beyond executive physical and longevity check-ups, wellness consumers are opting out of traditional healthcare and into preventative diagnostics, despite the out-of-pocket expense.
📰 News & Notes
- The rise of sauna and ice bath studios.
- Sweetgreen launches seed oil-free fries.
- Crunch Fitness enters India, signing 75-unit MFA.
- Tia, Nourish, unite women’s health and food as medicine.
- January AI enhances AI-powered personal nutrition coach.
- Hydration brand Cadence launches high-carb refueling bar.
- Naboso, ChiLiving partner on mindful movement and foot health.
- Noom expands into hormone therapy. [Re-read: Telehealth Retools]
- Technogym syncs Oura readiness data for adapted workout plans.
- PureGym, SH1FT roll out new group fitness formats across the UK.
- Ghost Democracy launches wholesale program for wellness brands.
- CAROL Bike, Flex enable HSA/FSA spending on AI-driven fitness tech.
- Human Powered Health, Momentous collab on performance nutrition.
- ICYMI: Check out the 2025 Wellness Forecast, featuring seven trends shaping the industry’s future.
💰 Money Moves
US 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦
Aescape, makers of an AI massage robot, secured $83M in a round led by Valor Equity Partners.
Nutrition brand Supergut added funding in a round led by Full Frame Growth Partners.
Bone broth maker Kettle & Fire secured a $43M in a secondary buyout led by Colter Ventures.
Tolan, creator of an AI companion for anxiety and overwhelm, raised $10M.
Pickleball, Inc., parent company of PPA and MLP tours, secured $5.3M from Hyperspace Ventures.
Bluebird Kids Health, operator of pediatric care clinics, closed a $31.5M round co-led by F Prime and .406 Ventures.
Eat Real, a nonprofit advocating to eliminate UPFs from school lunches, received a $600K donation.
At-home dementia and memory care provider Lizzy Care landed $2.6M in a seed round led by Boomerang Ventures.
Mental health platform Headspace acquired Supertalk, an AI mental health companion.
Probiotic supplement maker BIOHM Health raised $1.5M in funding.
Sleep health brand GEM HEALTH raised $7M in a Series A.
Europe 🇪🇺
ONVY, a German AI health coaching platform, secured $2M in a seed extension round.
WeWard, a French move-to-earn walking app, landed undisclosed funding from tennis star Venus Williams.
Thermal springs resort operator Therme Group added €245M ($256M) from Sculptor Real Estate to complete its Manchester, UK site.
German better-for-you snack maker KoRo received undisclosed funding from Kharis Capital.
Finland’s Solar Foods, creator of sustainable protein bites, raised €10M ($10.5M) and will enter the US.
Asia 🌏
Indian plant-based supplement brand Earthful landed Rs 5 crore ($573K) in a funding round.
Arva, an Indian fertility clinic operator, secured $1M in a round led by All In Capital.
Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.
