7 Long-Term Wellness Trends That Represent Huge Opportunities For Health Startups
Embrace these 7 trends to stay ahead in the fitness industry and tap into lucrative markets, catering to evolving consumer needs and maximizing your startup's growth potential. By capitalizing on these trends, you can position your health startup for success, attract investors, and make a meaningful impact on people's well-being.
Are you a fitness startup founder looking to tap into the latest long-term wellness trends? We’re exploring seven significant opportunities for health & fitness startups to consider, including connected fitness, wearables and health tech, genomics and personalized fitness, aging population, corporate wellness, mental health, and metaverse fitness.
Mental Health and Wellness
The COVID-19 pandemic increased the focus on mental health and wellness, and there is a growing demand for apps or services that can anchor a daily routine to foster better mental health habits, such as cultivating calmness, awareness & clarity. Health startups can leverage this opportunity by creating innovative mental health and wellness programs that integrate mindfulness, meditation, and other stress-reducing practices into their fitness offerings.
Example Companies
EquaHealth, a personal mindfulness trainer
Headspace, a meditation app that provides mindfulness practices and guided meditations to help reduce stress and anxiety.
Bloom, a digital mental health "self-therapy" startup that claims it can help with mild to moderate mental health problems.
Data
According to a report by the Global Wellness Institute, the global mental wellness market is projected to reach $121 billion by 2026, indicating a growing interest in solutions that address mental health concerns such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, the meditation/mindfulness category is projected to grow at 18.5% CAGR through 2029
2. Wearables and health tech
Wearables and health tech devices have become increasingly popular in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue. Fitness startups can leverage this opportunity by creating innovative wearable devices or integrating with existing devices to provide more personalized and data-driven fitness solutions.
Example Companies
Whoop, wearable technology specializing in wristband fitness trackers and performance optimization on things like sleep and stress.
Oura: a fitness wearable brand that focuses on the development of smart rings. These rings track various health metrics such as sleep quality, activity levels, and heart rate variability.
Data
According to a study conducted by Grand View Research, the global fitness wearable market is projected to reach a staggering $62.128 billion by 2025. This growing trend underscores the increasing demand for real-time health monitoring and personalized fitness assessment in society. Wearables, armed with advanced tracking features and comprehensive data analysis, continue to revolutionize the way we approach health and fitness.
3. Genomics and Personalized Fitness
Advances in genomics and personalized medicine are creating new opportunities for fitness startups to develop customized fitness programs that are tailored to an individual's unique genetic makeup, lifestyle, and health goals. This could include DNA-based fitness plans, personalized nutrition plans, or targeted exercise programs that address specific health conditions or risk factors.
Example Companies
Sequencing, personalized DNA reporting and health screening.
FitnessGenes, uses DNA analysis to provide customized fitness and nutrition plans based on an individual's genetic makeup.
Data
According to a report by Allied Market Research, the global genomics market is projected to reach $27.6 billion by 2025, indicating a growing interest in personalized medicine and fitness solutions.
4. Longevity
The population is aging, and there is a growing demand for fitness & health tech solutions that put a holistic view of a person at the center of the care ecosystem. In many cases, this is developing in usecases with older adults, who want to lead healthier lives and increase their health span and the quality in their years. Fitness startups can develop specialized programs that focus on strength, balance, and mobility training for older adults, while healthcare driven products are looking at more holistic approaches aimed at preventing vs. reacting to diseases, using integrations with various independent data sources to help form a more predictive picture of a person’s health.
Example Companies
Hinge Health, the #1 digital clinic for joint and muscle pain, delivering superior member outcomes and proven claims reductions.
Data
In The Future of Aging, a study by Deloitte it’s made clear that the “incidence and prevalence of major chronic diseases will likely decline dramatically in the future of health.” In response, healthcare and health tech organizations are shifting to go beyond treating illness and disease in later years and partnering with companies to provide solutions much earlier. These types of partnerships will help existing companies stand out, recruit & retain better talent, but also support the health ecosystems evolution of personalized data and preventative healthcare efforts.
5. Corporate Wellness
Many companies are investing in employee wellness programs to improve productivity, reduce healthcare costs, and attract and retain top talent. Fitness startups can tap into this opportunity by creating customized corporate wellness programs that offer on-site fitness classes, wellness challenges, disconnected corporate retreats or personalized coaching.
Example Companies
Fitbit Corporate Wellness, a well-known fitness technology company, offers comprehensive corporate wellness programs designed to improve employee health and well-being.
Virgin Pulse, Virgin Pulse specializes in providing employee well-being and engagement solutions for corporations.
BoomPop, a company that offers unique and customized team retreat experiences, including various types of corporate retreats, in diverse locations, designed to foster reconnection, inspiration, and engagement, with the support of event experts who provide personalized planning and consultations
Data
A study by Global Market Insights projects that the corporate wellness market will exceed $100 billion by 2027, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 8% during the forecast period.
The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans reported that 80% of employers plan to invest more in employee well-being initiatives in the coming years.
A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that for every dollar invested in employee wellness programs, companies saw an average return of $2.71 in healthcare cost savings and $2.73 in reduced absenteeism, both key metrics of success.
6. Connected Fitness
The rise of connected fitness devices and wearables is creating new opportunities for fitness startups to create integrated fitness experiences that seamlessly blend physical activity, data tracking, and community engagement. This includes digital fitness offerings, fitness networks & marketplaces, or virtual coaching platforms that allow individuals to connect with others and track their progress in real-time.
Example Companies
Peloton, the industry in-home leader in connected fitness equipment combined with streaming on-demand classes.
MyFitnessPal, a fitness tracking app that allows users to track their progress, connect with friends, and join communities based on their interests.
Data
According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets, the global connected fitness market is projected to reach $1.7 billion by 2023, indicating a growing interest in fitness solutions that are connected, data-driven, and community-oriented.
7. Metaverse Fitness
With the rise of the metaverse, which is a virtual shared space that is persistent and immersive, there is an opportunity for fitness startups to create engaging and interactive virtual fitness experiences that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. This could include virtual reality fitness classes, interactive workout games, or immersive fitness experiences that blend physical and digital elements.
Example Companies
Supernatural, a virtual reality fitness app that offers immersive workouts set in beautiful locations around the world.
Data
According to a report by VR Fitness Insider, the global virtual reality fitness market is projected to reach $1.6 billion by 2023, indicating a growing interest in immersive fitness experiences.
These are just a few long-term trends that fitness startup founders could consider as huge opportunities. Of course, it's important to keep in mind that trends can change over time, and it's essential to stay agile and adaptable to succeed in the fast-changing fitness industry.
How The SageHouse helped PushPress Forge a Unified Organization
Every startup begins in the early stage, looking for investment and strategy support to help shape and grow its business. Learn how this fit-tech company partnered with The SageHouse to improve visibility throughout their organization, strategize product plans more effectively, and ultimately move into the next growth phase.
PushPress is a gym management software. Founded in 2008, the company strives to make gym management the easiest part of starting a fitness business.
As the CRO of PushPress, Nick Reyes wanted to increase communications across the company and plan product releases more effectively to move from the startup phase to the growth phase. PushPress believes in hiring for culture and will train the skills needed for most roles once they believe an employee is a good fit. This approach aligns with their community-focused mindset and while this created a stellar internal culture, the team realized they needed a way to prioritize gaining SaaS experience. When Nick discovered The SageHouse, he found advisors with expertise in fit tech to help lead the way.
The Challenge
Collaborating with The SageHouse, PushPress aimed to:
Create more visibility across the organization.
Assess their business's collective and individual strengths and weaknesses.
Build a faster feature release process.
Gain more industry insight.
The Solution
Nick and the PushPress team had worked with Jim Crowell for two years when Jim co-launched The SageHouse, an investing and consulting firm. Though he was the CRO for over five years, he knew PushPress needed help uncovering and solving problems for their expanding business.
Once Nick jumped on a call with The SageHouse team, he immediately knew he had found the perfect fit:
A way to improve team visibility with more communication across people and teams.
A team with a deep understanding of the fit tech space to help solve their unique challenges.
Someone to support strategic planning to maximize efficiency.
A group of experienced advisors outside of the company to discuss ideas with
"The SageHouse team was able to offer guidance and help us avoid stepping on landmines along the way. As a leader in the organization, it's been incredibly impactful to have them as a sounding board." Nick Reyes, CRO of PushPress
The Results
The SageHouse team understood the complexities of the gym business and was able to improve visibility throughout the organization and plan more effectively and successfully.
By signing on with The SageHouse team, Nick and his leadership team found:
Deeper insight into the company and a unified organization.
Advisors with industry experience in fit tech to offer ongoing executive coaching.
Solutions for more efficient planning to release products faster.
Trusted partners with decades of fit-tech expertise to continue to provide strategic guidance.
“When you find someone passionate about the same industry that you are, like The SageHouse, you can have an honest conversation with someone you trust.” Nick Reyes, CRO of PushPress
The Conclusion
Operating a fitness management software business is only possible with the right industry experience to keep internal departments beating to the same drum. Nick and his team needed advisors with deep industry knowledge with whom they could collaborate. The SageHouse team helped PushPress gain clarity around their organization and improve communication, crucial elements to their overall product strategy. The SageHouse team continues to provide executive coaching and support PushPress' needs to plan more effectively.
Behind the Brand
We naturally connected on many things: authenticity, the unwavering desire to help people, passion, process, and fun. Combined with our collective functional experience, we formed a solid, comprehensive offering and knew the ride was worth going on together.
The story begins with three passionate people with deep fitness industry roots started crafting a vision of their next career chapters.
We naturally connected on many things: authenticity, the unwavering desire to help people, passion, process, and fun. Combined with our collective functional experience, we formed a solid, comprehensive offering and knew the ride was worth going on together.
When we created The SageHouse, we wanted to develop an idea more impactful than the three founders. We all loved the thought of a place where people came together to build knowledge, collaborate, improve, and metaphorically break bread.
Naming a company can be challenging, so we held a series of workshops that allowed us to dig into our purpose, brand personality, and vision for the company.
We wanted something that felt natural and organic yet embodied our collective commitment to excellence, support, and continuous improvement.
We instantly loved the idea of leaning into sage for inspiration - organic, natural, aspirational, and the duality between a healing herb and guiding wisdom felt right. We also loved the idea that a house provides structure, support, security, and a community.
We all believed that many founders would gravitate towards reprieve and support from the turbulent waters of startup life. We know that success takes time, but by bringing the right people and resources together, our ability to be that beacon of wisdom would shine bright.
Ultimately, we all agreed that business and life are better when you love what you do.
We came together to help passionate fitness founders change the world–by profoundly understanding their purpose and audience, leveraging their strengths and competitive advantages, placing customer experience at the forefront of every decision, and most of all, having a considerable amount of fun.
Welcome to The SageHouse.
Let me tell you about The Crazy 8.
One Friday night, I started writing notes on a pizza box while cleaning up after the kids were asleep. This would become the first iteration of what we lovingly now call The Crazy 8.
When we started The SageHouse, one of our ambitions was to be among the best connected to the trends impacting the fitness and wellness industry.
This notion felt very important to our success in consulting and investments but was equally daunting. The industry is broad, multi-faceted, and uniquely emotional; above all else, its pace of change is only accelerating.
How would we understand, in real-time, all of the macro and micro variables and the impact that even small changes would have on their interconnectedness?
One Friday night, I started writing notes on a pizza box while cleaning up after the kids were asleep. This would become the first iteration of what we lovingly now call The Crazy 8.
We've assembled a group of 15 industry executives (it started as 8 but continues to grow) from FitTech, equipment manufacturers, education companies, club chains, corporate wellness, and thought leaders from around the globe. Every week I meet with at least two members of the Crazy 8 to talk about trends, insights, and ideas from each person's perspective within the fitness and wellness industries.
The result of these conversations fuels our thinking.
It helps us understand the industry's direction and what levers influence its trajectory and speed. This enables us to more effectively service our clients and make better-informed investment decisions.
The value to The SageHouse and The Crazy 8 members will only continue to expand over time, and we’re all excited to see where it goes.
Now that you know the origins and purpose of this project, we hope you'll follow along at The SageHouse, where from time to time we'll share some of the gold nuggets from the influential leaders participating in The Crazy 8.
We promise it won't be on the back of a pizza box.
The SageHouse Launches, A Consulting + Investing Hybrid Holding Company Focused on Fitness and Wellness Startups
The SageHouse works with fitness and wellness startups as both consultants and investors to help them grow faster.
Pittsburgh, PA: The SageHouse, LLC Holding Company announced its launch today, which is an innovative hybrid holding company that combines investing and consulting for fitness and wellness startups. This exciting new firm works with fitness and wellness startups to help them grow faster and for longer.
Serving the fitness and wellness market of companies between their pre-seed and Series A investment rounds, The SageHouse ensures companies are structured to scale, helps them improve products and customer experiences, and strengthens their sales and marketing infrastructure to grow faster.
“When I began working with some amazing fitness and wellness companies, I immediately noticed how much founders craved ongoing help in their businesses; they needed people who would help them navigate the challenges they were facing,” said co-founder Jim Crowell. “With so much growth and change in this fledgling yet exciting industry, I knew that in order to help these companies in a real way, I needed to enlist the help of a world-class team and put a much stronger structure around a longer-term business vehicle.”
The SageHouse is organized into two core divisions: SageHouse Advisors LLC and SageHouse Capital LLC, and is founded by three members: Jim Crowell, Jason Crowe and Jenna Randolph. This team collectively shares decades of expertise in business growth, development, investing, advising and marketing in the fitness, wellness and health sectors—along with a relentless passion for fitness.
The SageHouse has already invested in, and actively advises a handful of outstanding fitness companies, and recently started providing growth and marketing support. Upcoming plans include growing our team of outstanding consultants, and partnering with other like-minded companies to build tomorrow's fitness and wellness industry.
Jim Crowell
The SageHouse
412-600-2340
info@TheSageHouse.com
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