Ladder
Digital workout app Ladder closed a $12M Series A round led by Tapestry VC and LivWell Ventures.
New gains. To date, the company’s focus on personalized, progressive strength training programs has helped it differentiate from general fitness or cardio-centric apps, reaching 50K+ paying members.
Expert-led. Built on the core tenets of personal training, Ladder delivers workouts created by an expert coach while also providing remote guidance and accountability.
Specializing in different modalities, each coach leads a “team” in strength-based programs across Pilates, HIIT, bodybuilding, and kettlebell training. Ladder plans to add a new yoga team next year.
Be everywhere. A shift from the at-home-only workout days of COVID, fitness brands must meet exercise-seekers where and when they want to train. As a result, location- and equipment-agnostic apps are gaining transition.
Along those lines, Ladder CEO Greg Stewart said more than half of its members use the app at the gym, with many relying on it to train in multiple locations, including at home.
All the right moves. Riding momentum behind personalized, portable, and strength-focused workouts, Ladder checks a lot of boxes for consumers. But, it’s not alone in capitalizing on these trends.
- This fall, digital personal training app CoPilot secured $6.5M.
- Last year, Kickoff added $7M for its remote coaching platform.
- Since 2018, Future has raised $110M+ for remote personal training.
Elsewhere… Wearable makers like Apple and WHOOP are leveraging artificial intelligence to deliver health and fitness coaching within their ecosystems. But for now, AI trainers still lack the personal touch, creating an opening for human-in-the-loop experiences like Ladder.
Looking ahead: From printed PDF to all-in-one platform, solo workouts have evolved. Now, there’s no shortage of apps claiming to put a trainer, nutritionist, or doctor in our pockets. As technology and competition accelerate, the winners will convince us to stick with the program.
