Image: Tonal
LeBron James is partnering with Tonal as an investor and brand ambassador.
Part of the terms, James will contribute to product development, social content, and workout programming. He’ll also be the face of Tonal’s upcoming ad campaign.
Bulking up. Valued at $1.6B following a $250M funding round this spring, Tonal is a leader in the connected strength training category.
- According to the company, it has “90% market share” in connected strength.
- Sales have increased 800% during the pandemic, with members working out for ~40 minutes every other day.
- Tonal teamed with Nordstrom to open 40 shop-in-shops, in addition to physical locations of its own.
Team effort. James joins a long list of athlete investors to back Tonal, including Stephen Curry, Serena Williams, Mike Tyson, Maria Sharapova, and many others. According to the company, hundreds of other pro athletes use the company’s connected device.
Efficiency is everything. A huge get for Tonal, courting James is sure to pay dividends — especially since the company is reportedly testing the IPO waters.
So, why did LeBron get on board? In his telling, Tonal’s tech delivers unmatched efficiency:
“Every person striving for greatness must prioritize efficiency… and the technology [Tonal] uses to maximize efficiency while still doing a complete workout is a perfect fit.”
A perfect fit, indeed — bringing efficiency to strength training was the aha moment that led Tonal founder Aly Orady to start the company.
Looking ahead: Coming full circle, Orady hopes James can help Tonal boost sales and stand out in an increasingly competitive connected fitness market. If his track record—and immense social media following—is any indication, James is about to pump Tonal up.
