The Future of Full-Stack Fitness: Our Investment in Caliber
It’s no secret that COVID-19 has had a massive impact on the fitness industry. Even before the pandemic hit, the fitness space was undergoing a digital transformation with exciting innovations in nearly every facet of the exercise experience — weight training, group classes, in-home gadgets, wearables…you name it. When quarantine suddenly cut off the use of shared physical workout spaces and limited in-person contact, that industry disruption leapt into hyperdrive.
Caliber is shaping the future of fitness with its full-stack model spanning strength training, cardio and nutrition — all provided via a one-on-one virtual coaching platform.
Beyond the clear market need and timing, we chose to invest in Caliber because of the impressive strength of their founding team (pun intended). Founder and CEO Jared Cluff has a proven track record of scaling brands with an analytical marketing focus and great product sense. He was the marketing force behind scaling Blue Apron to $800M in revenue, where he honed his health and wellness insights through the lens of nutrition. Jared’s co-founders Justin Fauci and Chris Muir have deep domain expertise in the fitness arena, having spent several years creating high-quality content and developing the Caliber training methodology through their work with clients. The combination of these skillsets was extremely compelling, and it was clear they were the right team to go after this market.
At Trinity, Caliber fits perfectly into our investment thesis around when-and-where-you-want-it mobile services.
The magic of Caliber is how it combines the best of both worlds, incorporating human-in-the-loop accountability and personalization, alongside the convenience, engagement and intelligence of a mobile app. The value that Caliber provides is powerful for consumers, given that most in-person training costs upwards of $100 per hour. The platform is also built with AI technology that provides significant leverage for trainers whose livelihoods have been severely impacted by the effects of Coronavirus.
