A curated gathering for founders, executives, and investors.
👋 Quick note: This week, we’re back with another long-form report, exploring beauty, wellness, and the medical aesthetics boom. You’ll find a preview below, and our full analysis here.
Beauty, wellness, and longevity are forming a supersector.
The global beauty industry is projected to be worth $590B by 2028. Expanding beyond makeup, the category is increasingly intertwined with health and longevity.
Medspas, science-backed skincare, and beauty-focused nutritional supplements are booming — making the pursuit of hotness, health, and happiness hard to parse.
What’s happening: The concurrent rise of weight loss meds, regenerative medicine, social media commerce, and AI is reshaping beauty standards, for better or worse. No longer seen as anti-intellectual, aesthetic treatments are becoming core to the optimized lifestyle.
Tying external appearance to internal health metrics, next-gen clinics are mixing diagnostics, dermatology, and body sculpting to establish concierge looksmaxxing as a consumer service.
Why it matters: People have always peacocked, but today’s boom is driven by a different ethos: Looking good isn’t superficial; it’s a byproduct of taking care of one’s mind and body.
Understanding factors like diet, exercise, hormones, and mouth-breathing can affect appearance, health-focused consumers are ready to invest in holistic glow-up routines.
Looking ahead: As consumers aim to defy conventional aging, beauty is veering away from “clean” and “all-natural” messaging toward clinical expertise and data-driven protocols. For companies, helping people navigate the new landscape will be part biology, part psychology.
Read the full report to explore how builders are capitalizing on longevity-focused beauty.
🎙 On the Podcast
Twin Health chief medical officer Dr. Lisa Shah discusses digital twin-driven care.
Replacing population averages with personal biomarkers, Twin Health leverages machine learning to address root causes of metabolic conditions like obesity and diabetes.
We also cover: Building a GLP-1 off-ramp, balancing AI with human touch, and achieving a 71% diabetes reversal rate.
Listen to today’s episode here
🏃 NYC’s running economy nears $1B
Race-related spending generated $934M for New York City in FY25, a 58% jump from five years ago.
Marathon effect. The TCS New York City Marathon alone produced $692M, up 139% since 2019. Part of the broader sports tourism boom, over 55K runners and 2M spectators spent $425M on hotels, restaurants, and retail.
Culture shift. Running has become a lifestyle and identity. In NYC and beyond, run clubs double as social networks, while digital platforms act as an on-ramp to IRL participation.
Meanwhile, Harry Styles’ sub-three-hour marathon, Issa Rae’s Portland finish, and Diplo’s race series are exposing the sport to new archetypes.
Punchline: More than a sport, running is reshaping urban economies — driving wellness, community, and growth from the ground up.
🔮 Shaping the future of health
Next month, Fitt Insider and Eudēmonia are hosting Health Innovation Lab, an invite-only experience for founders, investors, and executives shaping the next era of health, wellness, and longevity.
Curated. This isn’t another pay-to-play conference — it’s a gathering of 150 industry leaders built for candid conversations, shared insights, and real connections.
Comprehensive. From capital, product, and strategy sessions to wellness activations, private dinners, and off-site adventures, every moment is engineered for impact.
Connected. HIL participants also receive full VIP access to Eudēmonia Summit, featuring Andrew Huberman, Mark Hyman, Kat Cole, and 100+ leaders redefining human potential.
Join us: This is your chance to be in the room where relationships, deals, and decisions start. Learn more and request an invitation → here.
💪 Muscle is a vital sign
A new review in Current Research in Physiology says maintaining muscle may be the key to aging well.
Downhill. By age 30, skeletal muscle starts to decline — losing ~0.8% of mass and ~3% of strength each year. By 70, up to 40% of motor units are gone. Compounding quickly, just two weeks of <1,500 steps/day can mimic years of aging, with inactivity or illness accelerating irreversible loss.
Root cause. The review cites inactivity, illness, and poor nutrition as key drivers of sarcopenia—the age-related loss of muscle mass—and calls for early, proactive intervention.
Building back. The prescription: resistance and aerobic training, protein intake of ~1.2g/kg of bodyweight per day (up to double the RDA), and “prehabilitation” before surgery or downtime.
Takeaway: Strength training and protein aren’t optional — they’re preventative tools for preserving independence and extending healthspan.
📰 News & Notes
- Oura enters bloodwork.
- PUMA re-ups HYROX deal.
- Strava, Suunto sue Garmin.
- Nike’s “sport offense” pays dividends.
- How Pilates conquered boutique fitness.
- Ultrahuman launches AI medical test analysis.
- Peloton unveils product upgrades, commercial line.
- Sunnyside debuts Rx service for alcohol dependence.
- Eight Sleep adds temperature-controlled pillow covers.
- Costco, Novo Nordisk strike deal on discounted GLP-1s.
- Marriott launches outdoor adventure discovery platform.
- Hiring? We offer specialized recruiting for CPG, wellness, and longevity brands. Learn more here.
💰 Money Moves
US 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦
Menopause and midlife care platform Midi Health raised $50M in a Series C led by Advance Venture Partners.
Connected fitness company Peloton acquired mindfulness app Breathwrk.
SEEQ, creator of clear protein supplements, secured a credit facility from Assembled Brands.
The Plug, maker of functional beverages for liver health and hangovers, raised $5M in funding.
HELIOS, maker of a wearable device for ice hockey players, raised $2.2M in a seed round.
Proteus Motion, creator of a smart strength training system, raised $7.7M in funding.
AI-powered self-help and coaching app Wysa acquired at-home physical therapy platform Kins.
Padel United Sports Club, a NJ-based luxury padel operator, secured funding from music industry vets Wayne Barrow and Marcus Siskind.
Health and leisure operator Bay Club acquired LA-area health and racquet club Griffin Club.
Investment firm Motivant acquired longevity medspa Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center.
Mental health provider Talkspace acquired peer-to-peer support platform Wisdo Health.
Significo, developer of digital therapeutics, closed a Series B at a $100M valuation.
Kihealth, developer of metabolic health diagnostics, raised $5M in a seed round.
Folia Health, a consumer chronic disease tracking platform, raised $10.5M in a Series A.
Europe 🇪🇺
Third Space, a London-area luxury gym chain, landed a £75M ($100M) loan from OakNorth to support expansion.
Self-care device maker Beauty Tech Group IPO’d on the London Stock Exchange.
UK-based matcha beverage maker PerfectTed landed funding in a round led by Felix Capital.
Owlstone Medical, creator of breath-based cancer diagnostics, announced a $49.1M award.
Asia 🌏
Japan’s Personal Health Tech raised ¥300M ($2M) in a Series A extension round to expand its employee health platform Kensapo.
ZEAL, a Japanese boxing fitness studio operator, secured ¥290M ($1.97M) in a Series A.
India’s August AI, creator of a personalized health assistant, raised Rs 26.6 Cr ($3M) in a seed round.
Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.
