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Stay fit with Fittr: ‘Affordable, easy-to-use fitness solutions accessible to the masses

The origin of online fitness firm Fittr was a small WhatsApp group started by Jitendra Chouksey in 2014. Members of this group included friends and colleagues who were inspired by Chouksey (a software engineer who transformed himself while working a 12-hour/day IT job) and wanted to get fit just like him. Over time, numbers grew and a Facebook group was launched. The aim of the group was to provide science-backed health and fitness advice to its members and help them get fit. All advice was (and continues) free of charge.

In 2016, Fittr was formally set up and it started offering affordable online coaching to its members. "Today, Fittr is the largest online fitness community in the world with over 850,000 members. We have been been profitable since inception and have achieved a cumulative gross revenue of $13 million," the founder says, adding, "Fittr has transformed over 100,000 people and 30% of its user base is global, spread across the US, UK, Australia, UAE & Canada. We have grown 100% organically through word-of-mouth and before-after transformation photos shared by members via the Facebook group."

Chouksey created the training methodology and shared it through his free book "Get Shredded" to prove that anyone can get fit with the knowledge of Quantified Nutrition. The central philosophy underpinning Fittr is to educate and empower the end-user to transform and inspire others to get fit.

Offering a freemium model, the Fittr app was launched in 2018. The app provides free access to diet and training tools, and all of its features can be accessed by the community of fitness experts and enthusiasts. Users can get personalised guidance, customised plans and weekly check-ups through one of Fittr's 200+ certified coaches by paying a small premium.

Fittr started its journey as a bootstrapped company. It collected Rs 90,000 from initial stakeholders to create a basic website. "Our primary source of revenue has been the enrolments with the Fittr coaches. So far, over 150,000 clients have enrolled with the coaches. Each month sees more than 3,500 new enrolments and we have maintained a consistent renewal rate of 40%," he informs.

Recently, the company raised pre-Series A investment from Sequoia Capital. As part of the arrangement, Fittr has also joined the latest batch of Surge, an initiative by Sequoia India for startup founders. Under this programme, Fittr will gain access to critical company-building support and a community of other founders based in India and Southeast Asia.

On account of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a slowdown in business. However, Fittr has confidence in its business model. Chouksey concludes on a positive note: "We're a cash positive model and have established a reputation of trust and credibility within the fitness landscape in India. The vision is to become the leading global social platform and marketplace for fitness coaching."

Technology is the cornerstone of Fittr, says Chouksey. "We see ourselves as a tech company with a passion for fitness." Fittr app uses AI to create intuitive tools that map the entire fitness journey of a person. The app offers a full suite of easy-to-use tools such as Free Diet Tool, Free Training Tool, Body Fat Calculator, Macros Calculator and many others.

The latest addition is the Fittr Live function which allows Fittr coaches to carry out live workout sessions. By investing in technology and creating a robust online platform, Fittr has disrupted the fitness industry, he claims. "We have made affordable and easy-to-use fitness solutions accessible to the masses."