A scalable, AI-powered ecosystem.
👀🔎 The Fitt Insider 2026 Scouting Report search is on. We’re creating the definitive index of next-gen startups shaping the future of well-being. Submit or nominate a company here.
Sustainability deserves stronger storytelling.
Common Thread
From MAHA moms to Gen Z, consumers are connecting planetary and human health, recognizing how soil quality, air pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss contribute to disease.
Concerned about personal well-being or the planet’s future, people are increasingly aware of the upstream sources and downstream impacts of what they buy, but greenwashing continues to erode trust.
Cooperative
Moving past performative gestures, eco-friendly collabs are the new ESG play — helping consumers psychologically reconcile material purchases while proving brands are invested beyond basic compliance.
Twofers. A new capsule x campaign, On linked with NY nonprofit Sky High Farm to launch co-branded sneakers, apparel, and events supporting real food and its growers.
Balancing commerce and conservation, Maui Nui Venison and Momentous co-launched a performance supp, donating $10/purchase to a Hawaiian food-sharing program.
Teaming with nonprofit DIRT, Faherty relaunched its bestselling tees with regenerative cotton. Tapping Rivian for food delivery, HelloFresh cut its carbon emissions by >200 metric tons.
Rethinking to-go coffee culture, CA-based chain Verve Coffee works with next-gen manufacturing startup GaeaStar to serve sips in 3D-printed clay cups that dissolve into dirt.
Fast-casual with a side of advocacy, Sweetgreen launched supplier spotlights, highlighting its relationships with local farmers. Keeping pace, Chipotle premiered a short film alongside a $2M donation supporting sustainable ag.
Ground Rules
Planetary health isn’t a hippie concern anymore; it’s the wellness consumer’s expectation, and environmentalism will continue to grow with the category.
Nearly 80% of consumers are concerned about long-term environmental sustainability, and 55% of 18–34-year-olds say climate change is an emergency.
Easy activism, 86% are willing to spend more on eco-friendly options but don’t want to compromise on quality. Brands that invest in R&D—delivering sustainability without sacrifice—can capture the 63% still waiting for affordable, planet-safe solutions.
Experiential-meets-aspirational strategy, Nike, On, and adidas Terrex have all teamed with Usal Project—an outdoor club x creative agency—to tell their earthy innovation stories with style.
Punchline: While partnership campaigns don’t replace internal initiatives, intentional storytelling and real-world activations create positive hype and resonate far more than impact reports.
🎙 On the Podcast
Cymbiotika co-founder & CEO Shahab Elmi talks scaling a differentiated supplement brand.
With 100M+ packets sold in its first six years, Cymbiotika is bringing transparency to the supplement industry with liposomal formulations and rigorous third-party testing.
We also cover: Liposomal delivery, churn as a success metric, and avoiding the wellness DTC “race to the bottom.”
Listen to today’s episode here
💪 Gyms embrace fitness-as-a-sport
CrossFit put competitive workouts on the map, and HYROX is mainstreaming fitness racing. Now, operators big and small are turning members into competitors.
On your mark. As fitness becomes culture, identity, and community, gyms are reinventing in-house challenges to drive engagement and keep members training with purpose.
Crowning champs. Life Time, The Athletic Clubs, and Alpha Fit Club have all rolled out in-club “Games” to spotlight performance. Thinking big, Australia’s REVL Training gathered 450+ athletes for its global Team Games, with underground races in the works year-round.
Fresh formats. Part race, part spectator sport, events like NYC’s Urban Iron and Red Bull’s Gym Clash are scaling hybrid competition. Sanctioning remote races, Technogym launched a treadmill championship.
Takeaway: Borrowing from the owned-events playbook, gym-run competitions create purpose, progression, and belonging — the stuff that outlasts willpower.
🔮 Making Exercise the First Line of Defense
The fitness industry has a data problem. EGYM has the solution.
With BioAge making raw metrics more actionable, and Genius creating adaptive, AI-powered training plans, EGYM unites assessment, programming, and progress in one intelligent workflow.
For trainers. AI handles the heavy lifting so they can provide personalized guidance and build meaningful relationships.
For members. Clear performance insights and adaptive plans boost motivation, progress, and results.
For operators. A scalable ecosystem improves retention, reduces overhead, and puts your club at the forefront of preventative health.
From smart equipment to corporate wellness, EGYM is forging the future of fitness. Learn more at EGYM.com.
🏚️ Mold exposure costs Americans billions
A new Fitt Insider × MoldCo report quantifies the impact of mold-related illness, revealing an economic burden on par with America’s costliest chronic diseases.
Hidden pattern. More than 20M adults experience symptoms tied to chronic exposure, driving inflammation, cognitive issues, and long-term misdiagnosis. Half of US buildings show signs of water damage, widening the exposure risk.
High cost. Mold-related illness carries a $165B–$293B annual burden, rivaling spending on diabetes and heart disease. Medical waste, lost productivity, and property damage accelerate the impact across households and the healthcare system.
Deepening crisis. Left unaddressed, the 10-year loss could exceed $2.93T — with estimates excluding children, disability costs, and remediation expenses, meaning this figure likely understates the true scope.
Looking ahead: Standardizing screening, improving clinician awareness, and integrating mold detox into preventative care could save billions while reducing long-term illness driven by an overlooked environmental exposure.
📰 News & Notes
- Hims & Hers launches labs.
- Remedy Place enters peptides.
- Under Armour, Steph Curry cut ties.
- Aviron unveils gamified core trainer.
- WHOOP eyes IPO, glucose monitoring.
- 24 Hour Fitness pilots reformer Pilates.
- Orangetheory Fitness adds HYROX training.
- BODi, Shaun T debut functional strength program.
- Functional beverages target state-shifting effects.
- ODDITY launches precision dermatology platform.
- Eudēmonia Summit hosts 5K attendees, sets future course.
- Maven leverages AI for predictive, personalized maternity care.
- The Wellness Oasis preps third annual well-being experience in Miami.
- We already know your next hire: Fitt Talent offers specialized recruiting for CPG, wellness, and healthtech brands. Learn more here.
💰 Money Moves
US 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦
SKIMS, a shapewear and apparel brand from Kim Kardashian, raised $225M in a round led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, reaching a $5B valuation.
FamilyWell Health, an integrated women’s mental health platform, closed an $8M Series A round.
Pura Vida, a Miami-based healthy cafe chain, secured a minority investment from TSG Consumer.
Lumia, maker of brain blood-flow tracking earrings, raised $7M in funding and $5.1M in grants.
Bird&Be, maker of fertility and reproductive health supplements, landed funding from HSR Ventures.
Orion, maker of an AI-powered sleep-enhancing mattress system, raised $17.5M in a seed round.
Plant People, producer of functional gummy supplements, secured an investment from Manna Tree.
The Snow League, a snow sports competition series from Shaun White, raised $15M in a round led by Sapphire Sport.
Goldman Sachs acquired a majority stake in sports talent agency Excel Sports Management.
Brain health diagnostics company Beacon Biosignals secured $86M in a Series B.
Rebuildr, a platform for athletic-style physiotherapy, secured $1.1M in a seed round led by Slow Ventures.
Drinkware maker YETI acquired Helimix, maker of protein shakers, for $38M.
Europe 🇪🇺
Swedish feminine hygiene company Essity acquired the feminine care business of Edgewell, operator Carefree and Playtex brands.
Spain’s Holo, a diagnostics-led preventative health platform, raised €1M ($1.2M) in a pre-seed round led by Calm/Storm Ventures and Mission VC.
KÄÄPÄ Biotech, a Finnish functional mushroom ingredient producer, landed €9M ($10.4M) in funding.
Spanish gym chain Synergym secured €50M ($57.9M) in syndicated financing.
Asia 🌏
UAE-based hybrid women’s health platform Nabta Health raised $2M in a pre-Series A round.
Indian AI health coaching platform Unlimitr raised $1.1M in a seed round.
Australia 🇦🇺 / New Zealand 🇳🇿
HOPR, makers of an Australian hop-infused nootropic drink, raised A$3M ($1.9M).
Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.
