During the on-off lockdown reality brought on by the Coronavirus, it seems that people have rediscovered 2 new-old passions: cooking and exercise. While most people tapped into the world of yoga, jumped out for a run, or hit the pull-up bars at the park, Israeli startup BlazePod offers us a totally different workout with the help of cool looking gadget: combining engaging lighting pods and an intuitive app with hundreds of activities that leverage engaging visual cues to get you in the best shape possible.
Personal training anytime, anywhere
BlazePod’s kit, which is used by top tier professional athletes, is comprised of a base set of 4 light-up pods that communicate with one another through BLE and your smartphone. Users can run different training programs from their smartphones. Training includes running from pod to pod and tapping the ones that light up with your hands and feet. This is how the company claims that they can create a training ground anywhere, and at any time. At the ended of the session, users can check out their response times, training data, and follow their progression in comparison to other users in the BlazePod global community.
"Today more than ever, the fitness and professional sports market is ready for unique technologies that can maximize training and adapt itself to the changing needs of the product users,” BlazePod Founder and CEO Yaniv Shneiderman said. “There is no doubt that the Covid-19 and social distancing have strengthened the need for an available interactive product for use in any setting or space.”
Unlike a lot of other exercise products we’ve been hearing about, BlazePod is already available on the company’s website in Europe, the U.S., Amazon, and through its web of retail distributors, including Decathlon and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The base kit includes 4 pods and costs $300, while the trainer set’s 6 pods runs for $400. This according to CEO Yaniv Shneiderman provides accessibility for both trainers and trainees to a previously expensive comparable product - costing $5,000.
"It is not every day that an Israeli company specializing in B2C succeeds in breaking into the global market, to grow rapidly, to build an international brand that has sold in over 100 countries and all this through small investments until now. This is unusual in the Israeli ecosystem” Shneiderman added.
Fundraising while the gyms are closed
BlazePod announced the closing of an $8.5 million Series A round, led by AP Partners, which heavily invests in Israeli products. The company has raised $10 million since it was founded in 2015 by Shneiderman. According to BlazePod, the funding will be invested in accelerating further market penetration and product development. The company is currently looking to recruit talent to their team of 20 employees, with 17 working out of offices in Tel Aviv.
BlazePod provides an innovative solution to the needs of the professional fitness and developing home fitness market. Above and beyond the business potential, we are investing in the entrepreneur – and Yaniv, is a different entrepreneur in the local ecosystem landscape, he has single-handedly built a profitable and growing company with a broad base of customers in different markets including the US, Europe, Israel and more. We are excited to start working together in order to build a growing and leading international company,” said AP Partners Founder, Samuel Vlodinge.
