New funding positions Aviron to meet rapidly growing demand for gamified, interactive exercise experiences in competitive connected fitness market
Today, Aviron, the experience-driven connected rowing machine built on an advanced gaming platform, announced they’ve raised $4.5M from Samsung Next, Formic Ventures, GFC, Y Combinator and others to fuel the growth of the company and power the future of connected fitness. Aviron combines the increased confidence, problem solving, and resiliency benefits of gaming with non-impact, high intensity interval training (HIIT) for an engaging, calorie-torching rowing workout that taps into users’ competitive side. Aviron boasts unmatched program variety with hundreds of workout options including games and peer-to-peer live racing modules that torch more calories than swimming or running alone.
As the pandemic has fueled the explosion of the $150B gaming and $100B fitness market, the industry has seen an influx of connected fitness devices, however, to-date, none have focused on true fitness gaming.
“I founded Aviron to combat the monotonous exercise machines I saw at the gym, and provide users with a more engaging experience that leverages positive gaming psychology for increased cognitive and physical strength,” said Aviron CEO and Founder Andy Hoang. “I’m very excited that this funding will allow us to continue to grow the company and keep up with the boom in demand for the product and continue to deliver exciting, enjoyable workout experiences to users.”
“Covid-19 has accelerated consumer adoption of experiences that blur the digital and physical worlds faster than we anticipated,” said Antonio Key, investor, Samsung Next. “The sharp rise in the popularity of at-home fitness puts Aviron at the forefront of a market for those who prefer self-directed, competitive, high-intensity interval (HIIT) training. We are thrilled to play a part in Aviron’s journey to be the world’s leading connected fitness entertainment platform.”
With Peloton and others announcing the gamification of their devices, Aviron is uniquely positioned with not only a top-of-the-line hardware rowing machine, but also the software to provide excellent gaming experiences that go beyond just adding points to a workout. Aviron’s software is built on a gaming engine by a team of ex-Unity game developers, making them a fundamentally gaming-first platform. The interface features high quality visuals, music, and peer-to-peer racing modules through the interactive screen, allowing users an unrivaled “choose-your-own-adventure” workout experience.
“Coming from the gaming industry, I’ve seen the power of gamification to motivate people and bring them into sports”, said Michale Antonov, Founder of Formic Ventures and co-founder of Oculus. “I am happy to support Aviron in their mission of making fitness more engaging, inspiring us to exercise and lead healthier lives.”
Aviron launched in 2018 to the commercial market, establishing themselves in gyms, multi-family housing and hotels worldwide including YMCAs and Gold’s Gyms locations in the US, before launching to the consumer market in mid 2020. The company has seen remarkable growth for a seed stage company, surpassing 2020 revenue in the first quarter of 2021 and doubling their user base in the same period.
Aviron is available throughout North America and is expanding internationally. For more details about Aviron visit AvironActive.com.
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