Please welcome WAVE, the first immersive meditation experience made for everyone
Meet WAVE, the latest addition to Lerer Hippeau’s portfolio.
HQ: New York
Cofounders: Mason Levey and Brad Warsh
The problem: Reduced stress and anxiety, better attention span, and improved sleep are just a few of the direct benefits of meditation. But, at 86%, the majority of Americans don’t currently meditate. Some typical reasons are as follows: would-be practicers find it boring, they don’t have the time to commit, or they’re simply unable to calm their mind. With so many distractions and demands on our attention, taking the first step towards meditation can be difficult. And even when people get started, it can be tough to make it a habit.
WAVE’s solution: The WAVE system includes a tech-enabled cushion, headphones, a paired app, and content subscription designed to offer a guided meditation experience powered by sound and vibration. Lay on the pillow, put on the headphones, pick a track in the app, and WAVE takes you through 10 to 15 minute beat-driven, guided audio sessions. The WAVE app features more than 80 original tracks, all of which sync with the pillow based on your meditation goals, from energy to relaxation.
Origin story: WAVE isn’t Mason Levey and Brad Warsh’s first venture in mindfulness. They’re part of the team behind Y7 Studio, a fitness company known for its unique brand of yoga and passionate community. They teamed up to launch WAVE as an innovative product which aims to help people reap the benefits of meditation in a flexible format that fits their lifestyle.
Why we’re betting on it: Mason and Brad are deeply motivated by their mission to inspire and empower people to create positive change in their lives and the world around them. They’ve proven that they can do just that in building Y7 and, for their second act, they’re taking on meditation. We’ve been fortunate to work with Mason and Brad and watch them build an elegant physical and digital experience — all while managing the challenges of manufacturing, supply chain, and expense management of a hardware business. This team combines the mission, vision, and technical expertise necessary to build and introduce a new kind of product to the world.
Our take: There are several breakout companies that have put mindfulness top-of-mind and made meditation mainstream. We all know we should be meditating based on the health benefits, but for one reason or another it just doesn’t stick. When we looked at the market, we noticed a gap in offerings and space for a mass market brand in meditation that makes it easy to develop the habit. We wanted something that was uniquely different and that made meditation more accessible, less prescriptive, and more fun. As investors, we look for people and products that are thoughtfully designed and can change consumer behavior for the better. By getting us out of our own heads, we believe WAVE can do just that.
Further reading: “WAVE Launches With $5.65M To Make Guided Meditation Mainstream” Via Crunchbase News
Check out careers at WAVE.
