With the introduction of their connected rowing machine, Aviron took gamified workouts to a whole new level. The company uses habit-forming psychology in its game design to make the experience fun, engaging, and as many people would attest, addictive.
Aviorn is the brainchild of Andy Hoag, who bought a Peloton bike in 2016 but found it to be too boring. Launching on a shoestring budget in 2018, Hoag has made Aviron one of the world’s most popular rowing machines in a matter of just a few short years.
For this article, I’ve gathered together everything I could find about Aviron to give you some
insight into the company behind the rower.
Breakdown of Aviron information you can find on this page:
Aviron Key Stats & Figures
- Website monthly visits – 60,223
- US website visitor share – 61%
- Aviron’s estimated monthly revenue is currently $8.4 million
- The estimated revenue per employee is $216,000
- The company has 39 employees
- Over the past 12 months, the employee number grew by 44%
Company Background
Aviron was founded by Andy Hoang. Andy, who was raised by Vietnamese immigrants in Toronto, Canada, started working out in high school to help control his ADHD. However, as he spent more time at the gym, he began to notice bored gymgoers who were just going through the motions.
After earning an MBA from Schulich School of Engineering in Calgary, Canada, Andy began working at his father’s company, i3 International, which manufactures CCTV equipment. Andy’s business role model is James Dyson, who built the Dyson empire from scratch.
In 2016, Andy bought a Peloton bike. But he soon became disenchanted with the instructor-led workouts, finding them uninspiring and monotonous. He had a vision for a connected exercise machine that featured exciting, engaging, and addictive video games.
Andy managed to scrape together $300,00 from a combination of his personal savings, a loan from his parents, and a home equity loan. This money was funneled into software and hardware development.
Aviron’s first rower was released in 2018. Aviron creates interesting, calorie-burning workouts that appeal to users’ competitive nature by fusing the benefits of gaming—such as improved confidence, problem-solving skills, and resilience—with non-impact, high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
Aviron initially sold its rowers to hotels and condos. The business was hit hard when Covid struck, with monthly revenue dropping to just $5000 (the equivalent of just a couple of sales). It was during this environment that the decision was made to release into the home fitness market.
With millions of people unable to go to the gym because of lockdowns, it was a smart move, with monthly revenue hitting $300,000 by the end of 2020.
Aviron Interactive is based in Toronto, Canada. It has experienced impressive growth for its seed company, with its entire 2020 revenue being surpassed in the first quarter of 2021.
In that time period, the company also doubled its 2020 user base. Since then the company’s growth has been exponential.
The company is backed by Samsung Next, Formic Ventures, GFC, Y-Combinator, Bloom Venture Partners, Pioneer Fund, Atlas Asset Management, Behind Genius Ventures, Beluga Capital, Esas Ventures, and Rebel Fund.
Sources: Torontolife
Funding
- Total Funding Amount: $26.3 million
- Funding Rounds: 4
- Total Investors: 10
- Seed Round: March 1, 2021: Rebel Fund
- Seeed Round: March 30, 2021
- Seed Round: August 11, 2021: Y Combinator, Global Founders Capital, Samsung NEXT, Pioneer Fund, Formic Ventures, Behind Genius Ventures, Alarko Ventures – money raised – $5 million
- Series A: Feb 23, 2022: Stripes, Mark Mastrov, Global Founders Capital, Formic Ventures – Money raised – $18.6 million
Sources: Crunchbase
Revenue
There is very limited public data available regarding Aviron’s financial performance. It is clear, though, that the company saw tremendous growth during the covid lockdowns. In 2020, the company reported a growth rate of 5000%, though no specific figures were released.
Aviron Rowing Machines
Aviron currently sells two rowing machines, the Impact, and the Strong series rower. Here’s a profile of each machine …
Impact Series
The Aviron Impact Series Rower is a solidly built piece of hardware that is designed for high-intensity interval training workouts It has a 397 lb max weight limit… The interactive games and exercises offered by Aviron are displayed on the model’s 22-inch HD touchscreen display.
Together with smooth, silent magnetic/air resistance technology, this rower features a commercial-grade whisper nylon belt, accessible frame height, and patented adjustable foot width.
The Impact series Rower is currently priced at $1899 on the official website.
Strong Series
The Strong Series Rower looks much like the Impact rower, with the same 22-inch HD touchscreen, unique air-magnetic combination resistance, and whisper-quiet belt drive.
However, this is a sturdier model with a weight limit going up to 507 lbs. It is also designed for a wider range of users, featuring a lower slide rail, and lower seat. The screen on the Strong rower is also more adjustable than that on the Impact, being able to rotate 270 degrees left, right, up, and down.
The Strong Series Rower is currently priced at $2199 on the official website.
Monthly subscription to the Aviron app costs $29.
Workouts
The Aviron interactive platform offers 8 ways to workout:
- Games – get immersed in video-style games featuring everything from marauding pirates to killer zombies.
- Streaming – track your stats, while streaming content from your favorite platforms including Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Spotify, and YouTube.
- Coached Programs – personal trainer and rowing coach, Austin Hendrickson. Coaches you through rowing, strength training, stretching, and plyo workouts, both on and off the rower.
- Power Play – Power Play allows you to combine the visual excitement of games with guided programs to race your friends, earn points, and experience the thrill of competition.
- Scenic Rowing – scenic rows take you to some of the most exhilarating destinations on the planet.
- Live Competition – Live competition races allow you to conquer the leaderboard or simply challenge your friends and family for bragging rights.
- Guided Programs – Here you’ll find a variety of full-body workouts that take you on and off the machine and customize your workouts based on fitness level, time, and goals.
- Pros vs Joes – Here you get to race against a selection of pro athletes and Plympoains from a range of different sporting disciplines.
Sources: Aviron
Future Prospects
As more people express interest in incorporating technology into their training routines, the fitness technology business is expanding. The global market for fitness technology is anticipated to reach $29 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.2%, according to certain industry analysts.
Aviron Interactive has a distinctive product line that integrates virtual reality and gaming aspects into conventional exercise equipment, placing the company in a good position to capitalize on this expanding market.
Aviron Interactive’s products could appeal to a wider audience by providing a more captivating and immersive workout experience, including people who might not be as interested in conventional gym equipment. If Aviron Interactive can stay innovative and set itself apart from rivals, it should continue to experience rapid development.
Sources: Statista
Before You Go…
That’s all the data I managed to collect on Aviron. This company has made a real impact on the interactive rowing machine market, shaking up competitors like Peloton and Ergatta. I’m excited to see what new innovations Andy and his team roll out in the next few years.
In the meantime, I’ll be getting in my cardio on the Aviron – it’s the best antidote I’ve come across to beat training boredom while allowing me to get in a heart-pounding HIIT workout.
If you´re interested in what the other top rowing machine companies are up to, check out the following articles…
