A 10x better annual physical.
Human connection is a hot commodity.
Forlorn
Lacking meaningful relationships and belonging, loneliness affects a third of Americans weekly.
While some wish they had higher numbers of friends and family, others cite a more existential experience — a sense of fundamental disconnect from others.
Being surrounded by people isn’t a cure unless quality bonds are formed, but 57% of frequently lonely respondents feel they aren’t able to share their true selves within their spheres.
First principles. Assessing root causes, 73% blame tech, 66% cite less family time, 62% point to overwork, 60% to mental health challenges, and 58% to American individualism.
Mix in lack of spirituality and remote work—factors for 50% of people—and a loneliness epidemic is no surprise. More than a minor discomfort, isolation is a growing health crisis.
Still, 75% believe community-based events, shared activities, and public spaces are the solution.
Grand Plans
Tackling loneliness head-on, companies are linking people with like interests.
Matchmakers. 73% of 18- to 35-year-olds want to attend in-person events. Curating chance, 222 uses AI to spark spontaneous meetups between strangers. Meanwhile, Partiful grew 400% YoY in Q1 2025, drawing ~500K monthly users and inspiring an Apple copycat. Rethinking social media, Plots builds real-world networks, while Mozi lets users join friends’ agendas.
Open invite. Apps like Luma and Pie help city-dwellers discover public gatherings, with the latter betting on recurring events as the key to real relationships. Emphasizing depth over speed, The Feels connects soulful singles with vibe-first dating experiences.
Expanding boundaries, TripBFF and Going Solo help individual adventurers find travel buddies, while Corner delivers tailored maps of local watering holes.
Health clubs. As wellness eats the world, fitness event attendance rose 146% last year, and sober-curious options sprang 92%.
Crowding out vice, healthy hubs like Alchemy Springs, Remedy Place, and FlowHaus are becoming social anchors. Making exercise communal, The Athletic Clubs, Fitstop, and SweatPals forge fitness-based friendships.
Revitalizing recreation, Break Sports organizes pick-up games, Hoop York City connects female ballers, and WalkGoodLA roots in local culture. Trading swiping for sweating, groups like New York’s Lunge Run Club are dating hot spots.
Web friends. Leveraging the internet’s reach, Lore revives online fandom, and BuzzFeed Island offers a joyful escape from internet drama. Still, 95% of young people want to take their web communities offline.
TL;DR. “In-person” is becoming a major investment area. Prioritizing lasting connection over algorithmic engagement, modern community builders merge online discovery with IRL hangs.
Takeaway: As society grows niche-ified, countless digital subcultures are searching for physical homes. Answering the call, purpose-built communities could become the new social fabric — enabling people to find “chosen families” through shared passions over proximity.
🎙 On the Podcast
Lifeforce co-founder and CEO Dugal Bain-Kim talks democratizing longevity medicine.
Scaling longevity care, Lifeforce’s telehealth platform helps people optimize health through comprehensive testing, coaching, supplements, and pharmaceuticals.
We also cover: Making longevity medicine accessible, turning health data into behavior change, and the evolving role of AI.
💪 Life Time plans LT Games competition
The health club operator is piloting competition-based classes and events at its Minneapolis flagship, with plans to debut the LT Games this October.
Warm up. An alternative to HYROX or the CrossFit Games, Life Time envisions a high-energy, functional training competition with regional events leading to a national championship.
Blueprint. HYROX now runs 80+ events across 30 countries, with 600K participants and $140M projected revenue this year. Its model spans races, sponsors, gyms, gear, and more.
Built-in. Life Time already operates 30+ endurance events, including Leadville Race Series and UNBOUND Gravel, drawing 100K racers annually. With 179 clubs, it can scale a competing series in-house.
Full-stack. Members can train in-club or on the LT Digital app, recover at MIORA clinics, and shop branded gear. Like its moves into pickleball and HPLT, the LT Games aim to boost community, loyalty, and growth.
Punchline: With infrastructure, reach, and a full-stack platform, Life Time could turn the LT Games into a sport-as-a-service engine and a fitness race competitor.
⚡ A New Era of Personal Health
Health shouldn’t be gatekept, and quality care shouldn’t cost a fortune.
Democratizing concierge medicine, Superpower is on a mission to restore health agency for all.
By the experts. Superpower is backed by top longevity docs and leading investors, with a staff of clinical experts who translate your biometrics into custom medical and lifestyle plans.
For the people. Concierge clinics and elite doctors typically charge $15–$100k, but Superpower leverages tech to make preventative services accessible to all.
10x better than an average physical, Superpower looks at the whole you, combining 100+ lab tests, biological age tracking, and a personalized health management dashboard.
A new era of personal health is here: Personalized. Preventative. Performance enhancing.
Get $50 off your membership using code FITT50 (first 50 sales only).
💊 Supplement stacks are evolving
Nearly 70% of Americans take supplements, per The Vitamin Shoppe. But efficacy, delivery, and expert guidance matter more than ever.
Muscle up. With 66% trying to eat more protein, convenience is key. RTDs are up 20% and bars/snacks climbed 28%, while powdered mix-ins fell 12%.
Age well. Aging is top of mind for 75% of Americans, and 21% say they’re doing “everything possible” to fight it. Chasing results, searches for NAD+ and peptides jumped 500% and 550%, respectively, on The Vitamin Shoppe’s site.
Fresh forms. Pills still dominate, but 34% want new delivery methods. Creatine gummies are up 1,300%, and liquid vitamins climbed 50% — signaling demand for easier, more effective routines.
Credibility counts. Consumers trust doctors (59%) and family (40%) far more than influencers (11%). While 35% of people use AI for health research, the desire for credible, human guidance remains strong.
Takeaway: Today’s health-seekers want supplement stacks that deliver. Brands that combine science, simplicity, and trust will stand out in a crowded, evolving category.
📰 News & Notes
- Apple unveils AI workout coach.
- Nike kicks off youth-led street soccer series.
- Gold’s Gym builds out HYROX training centers.
- EGYM Genius powers the smart gym revolution.
- Ultrahuman debuts ambient home wellness sensor.
- Ochy, England Athletics analyze form of UK run clubs.
- ATHLOS announces team-based women’s track league.
- Nucleus Genomics launches genome screening for IVF embryos.
- GenoPalate lands nutrigenomic tests on The Vitamin Shoppe site.
- Gold’s Gym SoCal adds Escape Fitness functional strength system.
- Startup Q&A: Anne Fulenwider of Alloy Women’s Health on upgrading menopausal care.
- Scaling up? Fitt Talent connects top health & wellness companies with high-performers from our inner circle.
💰 Money Moves
US 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦
Continuous hormone monitoring platform Eli Health raised $12M in a Series A round led by BDC Capital’s Thrive Venture Fund.
Arketa, maker of wellness studio booking software, raised $15M in a round led by Inspired Capital.
Somnee, maker of sleep-enhancing wearables, raised $10M in a seed extension round led by Khosla Ventures.
Amplifye, developer of protein absorption-enhancing ingredients, secured $18.5M in Series A funding.
Racquet sports social club Ballers raised $20M in a round led by Sharp Alpha and RHC Group.
Omada Health raised $150M in its IPO.
AI self-care journaling app Rosebud secured $6M in a seed round.
Virtual GI care platform Salvo Health added $4M to its seed round.
Better-for-you candy maker Joyride raised $30M in funding.
32 Biosciences, developer of diagnostics for the gut microbiome, secured $6M in funding.
Fitness and nutrition company The Beachbody Company secured $35M from Tiger Finance.
Europe 🇪🇺
UK-based wellness marketplace Healf secured funding from IRIS Ventures.
UK-based longevity biotech company Juvenescence acquired AI drug discovery platform Ro5.
France’s L’Oréal Groupe acquired a majority stake in British premium skincare company Medik8.
UK-based flexible health benefits platform HealthKey acquired Syndi Health, an AI-enabled digital health navigator.
Birmingham-based Linear Diagnostics, developer of rapid STI diagnostics, secured £1M ($1.4M).
The UK’s Samphire Neuroscience, makers of a noninvasive brain stimulation device for period pain, landed $5M in a seed round.
Poland’s ReSpo.Vision, a computer vision-enabled sports analytics company, raised €4.2M ($4.8M).
Asia 🌏
Indian diagnostics-led longevity clinic Biopeak secured $3.5M in a seed round.
Australia 🇦🇺 / New Zealand 🇳🇿
Athlete performance analytics platform Catapult Sports acquired Perch, a computer vision-enabled weight training tracker, for $18M.
Aussie gym operator Revo Fitness acquired eight Crunch Fitness locations in Victoria.
Latin America 🌎
Brazil’s Huna, developer of AI-powered diagnostics for cancer detection, raised $1.5M.
Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.
