Therapeutic massage remedy has many important advantages together with improved circulation, lowered coronary heart fee and blood stress, improved immune operate, lowered irritation and ache, and alleviated stress ranges.  Regardless of these advantages, there was little or no innovation within the business and it’s largely been depending on a guide workforce; a workforce that’s dealing with a scarcity of over 29,000 therapists.  This has led to a multi-billion-dollar income loss in income for the business within the US alone.  Aescape has constructed an automatic message remedy resolution within the type of a contemporary, smooth therapeutic massage desk that mimics human contact whereas offering data-driven insights.  The corporate is concentrating on the hospitality, wellness, and athletic markets for the holistic Aescape Expertise that was developed by a group of efficiency, AI, healthcare, health, and robotics business consultants.  Born out of the founder’s private expertise with discovering therapy choices for his personal neck stiffness, Aescape is on a mission to make therapeutic massage remedy accessible as soon as its launches in late 2023.

AlleyWatch caught up with Aescape CEO and Founder Eric Litman to be taught extra concerning the enterprise, the corporate’s strategic plans, newest spherical of funding, and far, rather more…

Who had been your buyers and the way a lot did you elevate?
Aescape raised $30M in a Sequence A funding spherical led by Valor Siren Ventures and Valor Fairness Companions, an early investor in Tesla and SpaceX, Fifth Wall, and Alley Robotics Ventures, and from present buyers together with Crosslink Capital, Alumni Ventures, and NBA Champion and All-Star Kevin Love.

Inform us concerning the services or products that Aescape gives.
Aescape helps a number of industries meet the rising demand for bodily wellness and restoration companies by delivering a labor augmentation resolution that permits inns to extend buyer demand, satisfaction, and retention by way of an revolutionary therapeutic massage remedy resolution. In response to Forbes, the wellness business has seen a 21% progress in wellness tourism, but the U.S. therapeutic massage business is shedding $4B yearly resulting from a labor scarcity of 29,000+ therapists (iSPA 2022).
Aescape delivers a beautifully-designed, fully-automated, therapeutic therapeutic massage and wellness expertise that leaves folks feeling more healthy, happier, and restored.
Advantages to service suppliers embody:

• Fulfills demand by way of 24/7 availability to complement labor scarcity and talent to service members
• New income streams by capturing demand and providing add-on companies
• Producing repeat prospects by way of comfort and effectivity of the expertise and talent to drive in-the-moment bookings
• Boosting model notion for suppliers as an innovator and business pioneer
• Servicing and retaining present therapists – different therapy provides extra flexibility in employees planning; with Aescape, therapeutic massage remedy turns into a perk to on-staff therapists who work lengthy hours and want therapeutic massage remedies themselves

What impressed the beginning of Aescape?

I based Aescape in 2017 to serve a private ache level: a debilitating stiffness in my neck that was compromising my high quality of life. As a frequent traveler, I struggled to search out consistency between remedies, and with no different resolution in sight, I got down to create a product that will empower folks to take management of their very own experiences.
The Aescape Expertise is 5+ years within the making, constructed by a few of the most famed expertise in robotics and human efficiency, with earlier expertise at Accenture, Amazon, Apple, FitBit, Intuitive Surgical, Peloton, and Tonal.

How is Aescape totally different?
Aescape is exclusive in that it gives a full-automated, self-directed therapeutic massage remedy resolution for these trying to take extra management of their therapy routine. Members can choose into therapy kinds and lengths that match how they give thought to their very own wants, whereas the system offers an insightful, intuitive pill show with interactive instruments to regulate the areas of focus, stress, and sequencing of the therapy.
Therapeutic massage remedy applications provided are curated in collaboration with highly-skilled therapists to ship a exceptional and unparalleled expertise.
The platform tracks every member’s classes and delivers suggestions and options to optimize therapy plans and perceive their our bodies. Over time, Aescape will report on enhancements to 1’s physique, and thru related apps, will be capable of present the advantages of Aescape in correlation to mindfulness, higher sleep, and health/athletic efficiency.

What market does Aescape goal and the way massive is it? 
Aescape is for anybody trying to dwell a more healthy, happier life. The full market alternative for The Aescape Expertise is estimated at 39% of adults or 101 million potential triers. Analysis with 4,000 respondents factors to a possible net-new viewers of 4M who don’t at present get massages resulting from physique boundaries like being bare in entrance of or touched by a stranger – who stated they’d choose into The Aescape Expertise after seeing video of it.

What’s your corporation mannequin?
We associate with companies that present therapeutic massage companies. Our group installs, trains, and helps the companies that use the Aescape Expertise, and we offer ongoing product and therapy updates over time.

How are you making ready for a possible financial slowdown?
We’ve simply raised an extra $30M to help our group by way of no matter market situations we might face forward. Our firm is run by disciplined operators who’ve been by way of a number of financial downturns, and we’re of the assumption that a few of the finest companies on the earth are constructed throughout difficult occasions.

What was the funding course of like?
With a compelling product and important market traction, we discovered the capital markets to be remarkably receptive to this spherical of financing. We acquired a number of, high-quality phrases sheets from tier-one buyers, and finally partnered with Valor for his or her expertise in constructing sustainable, deep-tech manufacturers.

What are the most important challenges that you just confronted whereas elevating capital?
Our challenges had been in elevating earlier rounds, the place proof factors had been lighter.

What elements about your corporation led your buyers to write down the examine?
Our therapeutic massage expertise is excellent and suits with our message of “attempt as soon as, consider without end.” The market is clearly displaying that they consider in what we’re constructing, and our considerate strategy to capital allocation positions us to outline and lead this class.

What are the milestones you intend to realize within the subsequent six months? 

• Our go-to-market product might be prepared for alpha and beta testing
• We are going to invite signed companions to pilot the most recent innovation at Aescape HQ
• We are going to introduce Aescape at a associate mid-next 12 months and use the situation to realize learns for product optimization

What recommendation are you able to provide firms in New York that do not need a recent injection of capital within the financial institution?
Show your self in your market as early as doable. Be artful in the way you achieve this – it doesn’t should be a conventional strategy to validation.

The place do you see the corporate going now over the close to time period?
We’re accelerating progress with companions who view themselves as innovators and class pioneers. We are going to collaborate with companions to outline the expertise, pricing and go-to-market technique.

What’s your favourite restaurant within the metropolis?
Too many to slim to 1! Strangeways for brunch. Chino Grande for tons of enjoyable. Aldama for crispy tuna tacos. The Mary Lane for a beautiful dinner. Szechuan Mountain Home for spicy, shareable plates. Amor y Amargo for enjoyable cocktails.

---

You’re seconds away from signing up for the most well liked checklist in Tech!

Join right this moment

---