London-based personalised running coaching app Runna has raised £1.9 million in funding as it aims to become the top running coaching platform in the world. The investment round was led by Jon Coker, founding partner at Eka Ventures, whose has also led investments in brands such as Bloom & Wild, Interactive Investor, Gousto and more, with participation from Fortitude, Marc Cohen (sole partner at unbundled vc) and more.
Further, investors backing the app include double world-record holder, ex-Made in Chelsea star and ultra-athlete Joshua Patterson, British Olympic marathon runner Stephanie Davis and Irish rugby union player Gregory O’Shea. This brings the total funding to date for Runna to £2.55 million.
Founded by Dom Maskell and Ben Parker – two best friends with a dream of sharing their love of running, Runna aims to disrupt the industry and change the way people train. The funding will be used to grow Runna’s product in the UK and expand in the US market in 2023.
Runna uses advanced coaching technology combined with real-world conditioning, running and strengthening plans and workouts from top running coaches to personalise every user’s experience based on their ability, goals and schedule.
Anything and everything that everyday runners might need is available on the app; from those looking to start their running journey with a free couch to 5k training plan or improve their 5k times, to those looking to train for their first marathon or work their way up to multi-day marathon and ultramarathon plans. The app currently syncs with Apple, COROS and Garmin watches and is available to download for free via the Apple Store and Google Play.
Dom Maskell, Co-Founder of Runna, commented: “Everyone at Runna is beyond thrilled with the progress in such a short space of time, and we have to thank our users and investors for their unwavering support. We’re determined to spread the benefits of running with as many people as possible by making it as accessible as we can to people of all backgrounds, body types and fitness levels.
“The backing of Joshua Patterson, Gregory O’Shea and Stephanie Davis, among many others, is a huge endorsement and proof that athletes at peak physical condition are also supportive of our approach and attitude towards running. We can’t wait to keep growing our community and meet more amazing people in 2023.”
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