The connected fitness space has seen continued growth over the past couple of years, accelerated by the pandemic and stay at home orders around the world.
The music industry’s convergence with the fitness business has also been picking up pace during this time, and this week we learn that connected rowing company Hydrow, which saw its sales soar by 500% in 2020, has secured investments from two superstar artists: Lizzo and Justin Timberlake.
Hydrow, the ‘Peloton of rowing’, is a luxury fitness brand that currently offers almost 3,000 live and on-demand workouts led by “world-class athletes”, Olympians and Paralympians via a touchscreen display.
The rowing machines start at $2,295 and the monthly membership fee for the Rower is $38 USD/month.
The company says that it has now secured almost $200 million in cumulative funding.
Other investors in the company come from the worlds of sports and entertainment, including Whitney Cummings, Travis Kelce and Kevin Hart, founder of HartBeat Ventures was named Creative Director of Hydrow last October.
The company has recently appointed several new hires, including its first General Counsel, Ben Berman, and Chief Commercial Officer, Gretchen Saegh-Fleming.
Kevin Hart, HartBeat Ventures
“I invested in Hydrow because pound for pound, there’s no better workout out there than rowing,” said Kevin Hart, Creative Director of Hydrow and founder of HartBeat Ventures.
“I signed on as Creative Director because I truly believe in this machine’s potential to change people’s lives.
“You’re getting so much more than a workout each time you strap in. You’re shifting your mindset, and that’s a powerful thing.”
“It is an honor to have some of the most well-regarded names in music, sports and entertainment support our crew as we strive to enhance our members’ lives through the shared experience of rowing. ”
Bruce Smith, Hydrow
Bruce Smith, Founder & CEO of Hydrow, said: “It is an honor to have some of the most well-regarded names in music, sports and entertainment support our crew as we strive to enhance our members’ lives through the shared experience of rowing.
“As we continue to focus on positioning rowing as an accessible and mainstream lifestyle choice, we are excited to join forces with these exceptional people who each offer unique experiences and insights to help us in achieving this goal.”Music Business Worldwide