Movement Labs, a startup that aims to revolutionize the way people move and exercise, has announced that it has raised $3.4 million in pre-seed funding from a group of investors led by Sequoia Capital. The company plans to use the funds to expand its team, develop its product, and launch its flagship app, Move.
Move is a mobile app that combines gamification, social interaction, and personalized coaching to help users achieve their fitness goals. Users can choose from a variety of workouts, challenges, and programs that are tailored to their preferences, abilities, and progress. Users can also connect with other movers, share their achievements, and compete in leaderboards and tournaments.
According to Movement Labs’ co-founder and CEO, Move is not just another fitness app. “We want to make movement fun, engaging, and rewarding for everyone. We believe that movement is not only good for your physical health, but also for your mental well-being, your creativity, and your productivity. That’s why we created Move, a platform that empowers you to move more, move better, and move together.”
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Smith added that Movement Labs’ vision is to create a movement culture that transcends the boundaries of fitness and wellness. “We want to inspire people to move not only for themselves, but also for their communities and the planet. We believe that movement can be a force for good, and we want to use our technology to amplify that impact.”
Movement Labs was founded in 2022 by Smith and his co-founders Jane Lee and Tom Chen, who met at Stanford University. The trio shared a passion for movement and a frustration with the lack of innovation and diversity in the fitness industry. They decided to combine their expertise in engineering, design, and psychology to create a new kind of movement platform that would appeal to a wider audience and address the needs of the modern mover.
The startup has already attracted the attention of some of the leading names in the fitness and tech sectors. Among its advisors are Jillian Michaels, a celebrity trainer and wellness expert; Kevin Lin, a co-founder of Twitch; and David Ko, a former COO of Zynga. The company has also partnered with several organizations that promote movement and social good, such as Girls Who Code, Black Girls Run, and The Nature Conservancy.
Here are some of the companies that compete with Movement Labs in this space:
Hustle: Hustle is a peer-to-peer texting platform that enables organizations to communicate with their supporters, volunteers, donors, and customers. Hustle allows users to send personalized messages, track responses, and integrate with other platforms such as Salesforce, Mailchimp, and Stripe.
Relay: Relay is another peer-to-peer texting platform that focuses on helping campaigns and nonprofits engage with their audiences. Relay offers features such as automated workflows, custom fields, and segmentation. Relay also integrates with platforms such as NGP VAN, ActBlue, and NationBuilder.
OutreachCircle: OutreachCircle is a platform that helps organizations build and manage their supporter networks. OutreachCircle enables users to create and join circles of friends, family, and neighbors who share a common cause or interest. Users can then invite their circles to take actions such as signing petitions, donating, or volunteering.
ThruText: ThruText is a peer-to-peer texting platform that helps organizations connect with their contacts and supporters. ThruText allows users to send targeted messages, collect data, and sync with other platforms such as Action Network, EveryAction, and Mobilize.
L2: L2 is a data provider that offers voter files, consumer data, and analytics for political and advocacy campaigns. L2 provides access to over 300 million records of voter and consumer information, as well as tools to segment, target, and visualize data.
Movement Labs plans to launch Move in early 2024 in the US market, followed by a global rollout later that year. The app will be available for both iOS and Android devices and will offer a free trial period and a subscription-based model. The company hopes to reach 10 million users by the end of 2024, and to become the leading movement platform in the world by 2026.