There are connected fridges, ovens, beds, and bikes … and now there are connected mirrors too.
New York-based fitness technology startup Mirror today launched its product out of stealth and announced a $25 million round of funding from Spark Capital. This comes six months after the startup first teased its product alongside an inaugural $13 million of funding.
In a nutshell, Mirror is setting out to deliver in-home workouts through giant mirrors that connect to live and on-demand fitness classes. It resembles a giant smartphone on a stand, and constitutes a LCD panel, stereo speakers, camera, microphone, and a one-way mirror.
Above: Mirror on stand
Users can watch themselves on-screen during their workout at the same time as the virtual fitness instructor.
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Above: Mirror: Watch yourself and the instructor
At launch, available classes include yoga, Pilates, cardio, strength, boxing, stretch, and barre, with tailored levels available from beginner through to expert. The real-time instruction, which may include personal shout-outs from the instructors, are also optimized in real time depending on the user’s preferences and biometric data garnered from heart-rate monitors or smart watches. More than 50 new workouts will be added each week, according to a statement issued by the company, created for Mirror in a New York-based fitness studio.
It’s worth noting here that the giant mirror functions exactly like a real mirror when it’s turned off, and it doesn’t sport any kind of touchscreen functionality. An accompanying mobile app — available for iOS devices only at launch — serves as the control center for all the on-screen action, while also giving the user access to their fitness data.
Above: Mirror: Fitness data
Above: Mirror app: Control center
Keeping fit is big business. The health club industry generates around $83 billion in revenue around the world each year, according to numbers from the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), with more than 160 million members visiting 200,000 gyms and fitness centers globally. But visiting a physical building to work out isn’t for everyone, plus it can be time-consuming when you factor in travel — this is why we’ve seen a number of home-focused fitness startups raise big in recent times.
Last month, Peloton raised $550 million to expand its domestic connected fitness machines and virtual classes, while a few months back Audio-based fitness app Aaptiv raised $22 million.
“Studio classes are great for high-quality, hands-on training, but are often draining on time and budget,” noted Mirror CEO and founder Brynn Putnam. “We’re creating a personalized experience with the best trainers and classes around the world, so anyone can enjoy the benefits of a workout, whenever and wherever they want.”
With another $25 million in the bank, Mirror is now ready to ramp up its operations as it finally brings its product to market. The damage? $1,495 up front for the Mirror device, plus $39 each month to access all the classes. It’s not cheap, sure, but people are willing to spend big to keep fit at their own convenience.
