I don’t think I’m going out on a limb suggesting that dumbbells aren’t at the top of anyone’s list when it comes to connectivity. Heck, when you’ve got “dumb” in your name, you’re really operating at a disadvantage. Of course, given the smart home fitness explosion of the past several years, why not?
Kabata joins a growing number of startups bringing connected strength training into the home. But while offerings like Tonal and Tempo are focused on larger solutions, the dumbbell is really the thing for the Los Angeles startup. All of the smarts contained therein start with the weight system.
Today Kabata is announcing a $2 million round, featuring a bunch of names from the sports and VC worlds. I’m just going to copy them straight here for the full context of names and companies:
Courtside Ventures, Detroit Venture Partners (VC fund of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert), Tribe Capital, Zaza Pachulia (Golden State Warriors), Kirk Lacob (EVP of Basketball Ops, Golden State Warriors), Naval Ravikant (Founder, AngelList), Jordan Nathan (Founder and CEO, Caraway Home), Andy Dunn (Co-Founder and CEO, Bonobos), Sam Parr (Co-Host of My First Million podcast) and pro soccer player Daniel Sturridge.
The product is currently in pilot mode, with no specific release date. The firm says it’s targeting both home users and gyms as it figures out the right pricing model. The system utilizes a connected app, which creates a six-week workout, featuring self-guided and trainer sessions. With collected data, it’s able to continue customizing the user experience.
“The first-ever dumbbell patent was published in 1928. Now almost a century later, the category has experienced a severe lack of innovation, and it’s time for that to change,” says co-founder and CEO Kareem Aly. “Our smart dumbbells, powered by Kabata’s proprietary technology and progression algorithms, are designed to not only coach you to do your workout correctly, but track and comprehend all of your workout metrics to create the most effective workout possible to meet your goals.”
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