Social fitness apps make it easy to find local fitness and wellness events and connect with others
SweatPals, an app that connects users to local fitness and wellness events, community, and like-minded people, has raised $3 million in a funding round led by a16z Speedrun and Pear VC.
The startup held a crowdsourcing round on Wefunder earlier this year and raised $800,000 in the final round.
“Fitness is one of those rare spaces where people from all walks of life can come together,” SweatPals founder and CEO Salar Shahini wrote in a LinkedIn post announcing the latest investment. “Our platform is designed to foster real and meaningful connections around the unifying power of fitness.”
Shahini launched the app after struggling to communicate in a new country and facing language barriers. He then joined his first running club and said something magical happened there. In an interview with Canvas Rebel, Shahini talked about how joining the club was transformative.
“The usual social barriers disappeared and I found myself surrounded by people who were just as passionate about health and wellness as I was,” he told the publication. “These were spaces where everyone was welcomed with open arms, no matter their background or where they came from. The sense of community, of being part of something bigger than yourself, was something I longed for. Through these experiences, I realized that fitness and sports can play a powerful role in bringing people together.”
So he decided to create a platform where people could “find their tribe” through fitness. The platform also provides fitness and wellness creators with tools such as ticketing, group chat, and event hosting to create a community.
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The platform is easy to use. Just enter your area to see a list of upcoming events in-person and virtual, including rooftop yoga and social hours in Denver, free online guided meditations for world peace, pickup pickleball events in Tampa, and Wednesday night runs. can be generated in both. Drinks and more in Chicago. Users can also search for specific activities (running/walking, yoga, pickup games, strength training, mindfulness, cycling, dancing, water play, hiking) and filter for free events or events within their budget. Masu.
“When we launched SweatPals 18 months ago, we were deeply inspired by the ‘cold start problem’ and the great marketplaces we admire,” Shahini wrote on LinkedIn. “Being able to partner with 16z partner Andrew Chen, a growth expert and an inspirational author, feels like a full-circle moment.”
Earlier this year, Adidas and Bumble partnered to make it easier for Bumble users to find workout buddies and combat “gym intimidation.”
Courtney Rehfeldt
Courtney Rehfeldt has worked in the broadcast media industry since 2007 and freelanced since 2012. Her work has been featured in Age of Awards, Times Beacon Record, The New York Times, and has an upcoming article in Slate. She studied yoga and meditation with Beryl Bender Birch at the Hard & the Soft Yoga Institute. She loves hiking, being outdoors, and is an avid reader. Courtney holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media and Communication Studies.
