CoPilot, an app for digital fitness training that pairs users with remote personal trainers, has secured $6.5 million in Series A-1 funding, with Jackson Square Ventures leading the investment round. The app has recorded over 1.5 million completed workouts, connecting users with coaches to receive tailored fitness plans. The primary aim of CoPilot is to provide users with access to a personal coach at a fraction of the cost of in-person fitness training.
Founded in 2019 in Pittsburgh by CEO Matt Spettel and CTO Gabriel Madonna, CoPilot’s inception was influenced by Spettel’s personal fitness journey, sparked by Madonna’s encouragement during high school. Initially, the pair ventured into developing wearables and hardware devices for optimizing gym workouts but later realized the real challenge in fitness was helping average individuals know what to do and stay committed. This shift in focus led to the creation of CoPilot.
Their goal has since been to offer unlimited access to personal fitness coaches, making them accessible to a broader audience beyond traditional gym-goers. CoPilot targets people who recognize the importance of exercise but struggle with consistency and achieving their fitness goals. The app is available on both Android and iOS, priced at $99 per month.
To get started, users answer questions about their exercise history, personality, motivation, and coach preferences. CoPilot matches them with one of its 55 coaches, who then schedules a 45-minute call to discuss goals and equipment availability, even accommodating users without any equipment. The coach devises a tailored fitness plan, and users engage in workouts at their convenience, guided by audio prompts and motion data feedback.
CoPilot distinguishes itself by offering real human coaches who understand users’ unique needs and goals, a feature not replaceable by AI or chatbots. With the new funding, bringing the total raised to $16.5 million, CoPilot intends to expand its team, particularly in engineering, design, and marketing, and hire more full-time coaches. The company also plans to enhance its technology to provide more detailed feedback on users’ form and expand its offerings beyond strength training to cover aspects of health and wellness like nutrition, physical therapy, and mental health.
