Growl Raises $4.75M for Boxing Bag That Puts a Coach in Your Living Room
Summary
The French-American startup is on a mission to bring the benefits of boxing fitness to the masses through virtual coaching and gamificationConnected fitness startup Growl has emerged from stealth mode, raising $4.75 million in seed funding for an exciting new product: a wall-mounted, AI-powered punching bag that projects a life-sized virtual boxing coach into peoples living rooms.Skip Capital led the seed-funding round, which included participation from Kima Ventures, Teampact Ventures and highly ranked UFC heavyweight fighter Ciryl Gane.An Austin, Texas-based startup with ties to Paris, France, Growl on Wednesday unveiled its debut product, which uses 3D motion tracking to capture punches and AI computing to project virtual coaches directly onto the bags surface. Growl will also offer boxing-inspired games developed by Unreal Engine, the software powering titles like Fortnite and Gears of War.L\xe9o Desrumaux, Growls co-founder and CEO, told Athletech News that he and fellow co-founder Nicolas de Maubeuge created the brand to make boxing and its power accessible to everyone at home.Our belief is that boxing has this uncanny, universal touch and potential, says Desrumaux, who fell in love with the sport after moving to the U.S. from France at 16 years old. The product is targeted for users aged 10 and above.The versatility of Growl is what convinced us to invest: it goes far beyond boxing, evolving into a complete, immersive at-home fitness experience with limitless possibilities for future content and workouts whether for adults, kids or anyone in between, Skip Capital investment partner Adam Cook said in a statement.The startup also counts former Amazon, Peloton and Tonal hardware guru Sam Bowen among its advisors.Coming to a Home Near YouGrowl aims to begin taking pre-sale orders in April 2025 and ship its first batch of boxing bags around 12 months later, putting the brand on track for a launch in Q2 of 2026.Growl initially plans to sell its product in the U.S. market only, eschewing retail partnerships in favor of a direct-to-consumer model. Our goal is to serve the whole family.Growl will cost an anticipated $4,500 at launch, plus a $60/month content subscription, placing it on the higher end of pricing for connected fitness products, in line with Tonal and above Peloton. We recreate a life-size personal trainer whos going to literally engage you physically, motivate you and push you as if (they were) right there with you.Citing the rising popularity of boxing fitness, especially among women, Growl is confident its striking while the iron is hot.