FitFighter is on the Move with $2.5M in New Funding
Posted: June 22, 2022 in Suppliers
FitFighter
NEW YORK, N.Y. – FitFighter Inc. announces it has raised $2.5 million in seed round investments to build its salesforce, expand its gym programs and military training, advance product design and accelerate production. The funding round was led by Jennus Innovation and anchored by Abraham Trust, adding a deep bench of partners to its initial investment from Daniel Lubetzky, representing Equilibra Ventures.
After the company’s successful debut on ABC’s Shark Tank in November 2020, it quickly established its world class strength system with clients in the military and public safety markets including Fire and Police Departments from Jacksonville FL to Houston TX to Fresno CA. It attracted boutique and franchise gyms from CrossFits to Yoga Studios to F45 to big box chains including Anytime Fitness. FitFighter signed with retailers and distributors including Dicks Sporting Goods and Perform Better, and featured a debut on QVC in May 2020.
“We were delighted to lead the recent successful round of fundraising for FitFighter,” remarked Chris Jenny, CEO of Jennus Innovation. “We spent several months working with Sarah and her team prior to the raise and the more we saw, the more we liked. We liked the space, the evolving business model, and the product’s natural flexibility across customer types, age groups and functions. Most important, we found that trainers and gyms that were already using the FitFighter product were absolutely thrilled with it.”
Beyond its strong sales, FitFighter made immediate waves with its intent to redefine strength training as we know it, a sentiment echoed by Muscle and Fitness, Mens Health, Oxygen, Bicycling Magazine, Runners World, and Rolling Stone, among other critical acclaim.
Sarah Apgar, FitFighter’s CEO, Iraq War Veteran, and certified trainer, underscored her vision: “Despite undeniable evidence that strength training is the single most important activity for our long term physical and mental health, 4 out of 5 people don’t strength train. If you believe in the efficacy of brushing your teeth, you should also be lifting weight. It’s that simple and that well researched. Imagine if only 20% of our general public brushed their teeth everyday. On a somber note, the effects of the pandemic and our healthcare costs crisis are made exponentially worse by our simple lack of strength. We are working with our partners and leaders in the fitness industry to reduce barriers to entry, move this needle and shift that statistic.”
Jarod Cogswell, FitFighter’s incoming VP of Sales and Marketing, shared that “FitFighter is on a mission to be an authentic partner for all sectors by not only providing a unique and accessible product that serves ALL levels and disciplines of fitness, but also a done for you evolutionary system to positively impact the world of strength training. Our team is maniacally focused on assisting fitness professionals and their clients, the military, first responders, and athletes develop their abilities to move strong and be a valuable tool to bond fitness communities together.”
Alarming trends in poor strength and health also plague the public sector, where FitFighter’s roots are, and where two thirds of first responders are overweight or obese and over half of injuries sustained in the line of duty are preventable. The US Army has recently implemented a new Army Combat Fitness Test and is now solving how to effectively train soldiers to maintain its standards. FitFighter developed a 30-movement Steelhose-load training program to answer that need with effective, economical solutions.
Similarly, the military struggles to sustain standardized mission readiness in its recruits from enlistment through basic training, which can be a 6-9 month timeline. In collaboration with Veteran-owned partner Strong Brands, FitFighter is designing a 90-day Mission Ready Recruit program in several states that will ultimately impact 50,000+ incoming soldiers a year across Active Duty and National Guard. The Company’s core competency in product design and development is fueling customized and adaptable mobile solutions and concepts that address physical fitness, performance mindset, and personal leadership, the three pillars it defines as holistic strength.
Jacob Garlick, Managing Partner at Abraham Trust, the seed round’s largest investor, said of his commitment: “Sarah’s vision for bringing strength back into focus as the primary goal when training, and delivering that strength by reinventing the free weight is truly remarkable. We believe FitFighter will change the way the world views exercise, from something that requires you to go somewhere to do it, to something you bring with you everywhere you go. Truly the next evolution in fitness.”
