Wearable sensor and performance apparel maker ATHOS has closed $12.2 million in Series B financing. DCM led the round, with participation from True Ventures, Managing Partner and Chairman of the Golden State Warriors Joe Lacob, NBA All-Star Jermaine O’Neal and existing investor, The Social+Capital Partnership. The new funding brings the total amount raised-to-date to $16 million. As part of the deal, Pete Moran, General Partner at DCM, and Joe Lacob have joined ATHOS’ board of directors.
ATHOS has also signed agreements with two Tier 1 manufacturers, including a multi-billion dollar garment manufacturer and one of the leading hardware manufacturers in the world.The company will use the money to further commercialize its product and invest in scaling manufacturing and marketing efforts. Available this fall, ATHOS’ first fitness apparel line will be able to collect and analyze muscle activity and effort, as well as heart and breathing rates to provide users with a real-time picture of their workout performance.
New investment aside, the company has also signed agreements with two Tier 1 manufacturers including a multi-billion dollar garment manufacturer and one of the leading hardware manufacturers in the world. Together with ATHOS, these companies have developed a “revolutionary manufacturing process” to create high-quality sensors integrated into clothing in a way that has never been done before.
“As we think about the future of the fitness and apparel industry, no one has successfully cracked the ability to measure total body behavior including muscle movement, and then translated that into actionable insight,” said Pete Moran, General Partner, DCM. “ATHOS is breaking new ground in this arena, and soon, this kind of intelligence will be the ‘new normal’ in a consumer’s mind.”
The ATHOS apparel line uses small sensors that are built into compression clothing and communicate directly with a smartphone.Designed to be not only functional but also comfortable and stylish, the new ATHOS apparel line uses small sensors that are built into compression clothing and communicate directly with a consumer’s smartphone to give the wearer real-time feedback on their workout.
Started in 2010 by co-founders Dhananja Jayalath, Christopher Wiebe and Chamath Palihapitiya, the core of ATHOS’ technology was born from an advanced engineering project at the University of Waterloo. The technology incorporates electromyography, or EMG, which is one of the most effective ways of tracking muscles. The company hopes to have its products in the market later this fall.