Insider Brief
- Aescape, an AI-driven lifestyle robotics company, raised $83 million in a strategic round led by Valor Equity Partners, bringing its total funding to $128 million to scale operations and expand market reach.
- Following strong demand, Aescape is expanding its partnership with Equinox from select NYC locations to 60 nationwide, making Equinox the first fitness brand to integrate AI-powered massage at scale.
- The company is growing beyond fitness into hospitality, corporate wellness, and professional sports, securing partnerships with Four Seasons, Marriott, and Ritz-Carlton while strengthening its leadership team.
PRESS RELEASE — Aescape, the lifestyle robotics company pioneering AI massage for personalized recovery, has announced it has raised $83MM in a strategic round led by Valor Equity Partners, an early investor in Tesla and SpaceX. The round also saw participation from existing investors, including Fifth Wall, Alumni Ventures, and NBA Champion and All-Star Kevin Love. With this latest investment, Aescape’s total funding now stands at $128MM, enabling the company to scale operations, expand into new markets, and grow its partnerships with global brands.
Aescape & Equinox: Bringing AI Recovery to 60 Locations
Built by alumni from Amazon, Apple, Tonal, Uber, MakerBot, and more, Aescape became the first commercially available automated massage experience when it launched with Equinox, the authority in high-performance luxury living, at select NYC locations last year. Following strong demand, high engagement, and a spike in memberships, Equinox is expanding the partnership to 60 locations nationwide, marking a milestone in the integration of AI-powered recovery as a core fitness and wellness amenity.
“Aescape immediately resonated with our members, offering a private, effective, and highly personalized massage experience — on their time,” said James Gu, Sr. Director of Spa at Equinox. “This partnership reflects our commitment to having the most advanced recovery solutions available, and we’re excited to bring it to more locations across the country.”
This makes Equinox the first fitness brand to integrate fully autonomous, AI-driven massage at scale, setting a new standard for on-demand, high-performance recovery experiences.
Investor Confidence in Aescape’s Market Leadership
“Aescape has seen remarkable traction in just six months since launch,” said Jonathan Shulkin, Partner and Co-President at Valor Equity Partners. “Their AI-driven approach is unlocking new possibilities in data-informed, personalized care, driving revenue for partners while delivering precision-tailored experiences. Eric and his team are creating an entirely new category of robotics-powered wellness, and we’re delighted to continue to partner in their growth.”
Scaling Beyond Equinox: Entering New Markets & Strengthening Leadership
Since debuting with Equinox, Aescape has announced partnerships with industry leaders in hospitality, corporate wellness, luxury real estate, and professional sports — including select Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Marriott, and Ritz-Carlton properties throughout North America.
To support this next phase, Aescape has added five sales leads and appointed Kimberly Miller as Chief Marketing Officer. Miller brings over 20 years experience in scaling high-growth organizations, previously serving as Global CMO of Native Instruments and The Economist Group. In her new role, she will oversee product marketing, communications, creative, customer acquisition, and performance marketing to drive Aescape’s expansion.
Aescape has also appointed Eswar Priyadarshan as SVP of Engineering. Priyadarshan previously held leadership roles at Apple and Adobe and successfully led m-Qube and Quattro Wireless through acquisitions by Versign and Apple, respectively. In his new role, he oversees Aescape’s engineering and technical operations, driving innovation and scalability across product, design and operations.
“Our first six months in the market focused on launching with strategic partners and introducing fully autonomous robotic massage to consumers, driving both high utilization and repeat usage rates,” said Aescape Founder and CEO Eric Litman. “With fresh capital, we’re doubling down on these goals, catapulting growth for both our business and our partners as we expand into hospitality, professional sports, fitness, and mainstream markets.”
To learn more about how Aescape can elevate your wellness offerings, visit www.aescape.com or reach out directly to [email protected].
About Aescape (pronounced “escape”)
Aescape is a New York-based robotics company at the forefront of wellness innovation. Using advanced AI technology, the company is delivering the world’s first fully automated, customizable massage experience for personalized wellness and recovery. Founded in 2017 by four-time entrepreneur Eric Litman, Aescape brings together expertise from industry-leading brands like Amazon, Apple, FitBit, MakerBot, Uber, Peloton, Tonal and more. The company is backed by $128 million in funding from investors including Valor Siren Ventures and Valor Equity Partners (an early investor in Tesla and SpaceX), Crosslink Capital, and AlleyCorp. For more information, visit www.aescape.com.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Molly O’Connor
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