With COVID 19, health has become a top priority for many of us. However, as gyms are still closed in a large part of the world, the landscape of the fitness industry has changed, as online solutions gain popularity day by day. Cure.Fit, an Indian fitness company which offers online classes, has emerged as an alternative to in-gym workouts, and has now acquired California based startup Onyx, just a few months after starting operations in US.
Back in 2020, when the COVID 19 pandemic had just started out, the fitness industry took a massive hit. Cure.Fit, which was gaining traction before the lockdown, decided to shut down ‘Cult’, the crown jewel of its portfolio, in late March as fitness centers and gyms could no longer stay open. Seeing how Cult brought in 60% of the group’s revenues, the move should have been a big hit to Cure.Fit’s business. Instead, the company decided to put everything it had into its online platform, and the move has paid dividends.
Just a month after it laid off a large chunk of its employee taskforce, the company expanded to the US, thanks to the rising popularity of its online business.
Now, after a few months, the company is acquiring Onyx, a startup from California which specializes in body tracking technology and personalization of workout feedback. Its platform provides accurate rep counts, along with form corrections for beginners. Thus, with Onyx and its computer vision technology, Cure.Fit aims to bring its experience to even closer to training with an actual trainer.
“With this tech, our digital product will be very similar to attending a group class at a boutique studio or a personal training session in the gym. Users will get feedback on their movements and it will be a two-way interactive experience. We are integrating with all display devices such as Apple TV and Chromecas. Users can follow a variety of exercises such dance, HIIT, and yoga from their home,” said Shamik Sharma, head of technology, Cure.fit.
Moreover, the company also has a product called Energy Meter, which allows the app to judge the amount of ‘effort’ put into the workout by a participant, which is achieved by letting the app record you with the phone’s front camera. With this new partnership, Cure.Fit may also be able to improve its energy meter and give an even more extensive description of the amount of effort put in a workout session.
The acquisition will also help Cure.Fit expand its footprint in the international market, thanks to the native users of Onyx.
“The 20s will be the decade of digital health. Onyx will accelerate our efforts towards building a hardware agnostic artificial intelligence-led platform that offers guided content on physical and mental wellness and nutrition all at the same place. Users will get a personalised experience with high quality tech and human touch, and will be able to achieve their fitness goals from the comfort of their homes without spending on expensive hardware,” said Mukesh Bansal, co-founder, Cure.fit.
