Headlines in the Global Wellness Economy
Global Wellness News™ | March 22th, 2022
Hydrow raises $55 million as the at-home fitness industry faces a post-lockdown reckoning
Hydrow, maker of a $2,500 connected rowing machine, said Thursday it has landed another $55 million in funding to fuel its growth while the at-home fitness industry undergoes a shakeout as consumers return to gyms after two years of Covid-related lockdowns and restrictions.
Pangaia rides the wellness wave with “superfoods” launch
Driving Pangaia Health is industry veteran Ira Laufer, who joins as chief executive after two decades of experience leading specialty consumer product brands, including a stint as CEO of Jaden Smith’s sustainably packaged Just Water brand. Based in New York, Laufer oversees a team of nine who are spread across the US and UK.
With a $15M Series A, Apollo Neuro looks to expand use of its D2C stress-reducing wearable – Technical.ly
The money keeps on rolling in for Pittsburgh startups this quarter. Consumer health tech startup Apollo Neuro announced today that it had closed a $15 million Series A round. A spinout from the University of Pittsburgh, the startup specializes in the development and sale of a wearable device that uses tactile vibrations to reduce user stress.
Femtech is coming of age in Israel
Having been neglected for years, femtech has finally become somewhat of a buzzword this past year. But what does it actually mean? Is there really a femtech revolution going on? And what does the Israeli ecosystem looking like?
London’s Vira Health secures €10.9 million to improve women’s long-term health | EU-Startups
Healthtech startup Vira Health has just raised about €10.9 million in new funding to continue its mission to improve women’s long-term health. The funding was led by Octopus Ventures, with participation from Optum Ventures and existing investors. It comes after a €1.7 million boost in 2021.
Banyan Tree launches wellness-focused Veya brand: Travel Weekly
Luxury hospitality company Banyan Tree Group unveiled a new wellness-focused brand, Banyan Tree Veya. The flag’s inaugural resort is opening on March 18 in Phuket, Thailand. According to Banyan Tree, the Veya offshoot was created “in direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic,” and seeks to cater to guests “with an urgent need for reconnecting mind and body.”
Meta finds a fitness pipeline in the Apple ecosystem
The metaverse will finally meet Apple’s walled garden when Oculus Quest 2 headset users receive an update that lets them send their workout data to Apple’s Health app. Why it’s worth watching: The metaverse is a mostly isolated VR ecosystem, but a new update to Meta’s VR headsets will let users share their fitness data with Apple Health, which could result in wider adoption, AppleInsider.
Growth in New Types of Health and Wellness Tenants Drives Retail Leasing Activity
As the healthcare industry evolves, more and more health and wellness providers are choosing to move into retail centers. These “medtail” tenants are driving much of the retail leasing activity right now, leading to a supply-demand imbalance in highly visible centers and allowing retail real estate owners to generate higher rental rates, particularly for end caps and outparcels.
Tretinoin emerges as trendy cult product thanks to skinfluencers and telemedicine
The growth of skinfluencers talking openly about acne on social media has also spurred visibility for the product.