Fitness Rower Machine Maker Hydrow Attracts Investor Kevin Hart Among Other Celebs
Tech-savvy home fitness enthusiasts can now add Hydrow to their lineup of Hollywood-approved gym routines. The at-home smart rower has secured nearly $200 million in funding, including from new creative director Kevin Hart alongside starry backers such as Whitney Cummings, Travis Kelce, Lizzo, Aaron Rodgers and Justin Timberlake.
Hart was appointed to his title last October after becoming an early adopter of the high-end workout gear company, which was founded by former U.S. national team rowing coach Bruce Smith. In a release, the actor and Celebrity Game Face executive producer explains that he “invested in Hydrow because pound for pound, there’s no better workout out there than rowing … I truly believe in this machine’s potential to change people’s lives. You’re getting so much more than a workout each time you strap in. You’re shifting your mindset, and that’s a powerful thing.”
Priced at $2,145, the state-of-the-art connected rower — oft dubbed “the Peloton for rowing” — mimics the experience of the water workout via “an algorithm-based, patented electromagnetic and computer-controlled drag mechanism,” which provides full-body workouts that engage up to 86 percent of users’ muscles, compared to 44 percent of muscles used during cycling and running, says the brand. Membership is required to activate the rower, and costs $38 per month or $456 annually.
