Running can be a big part of our daily lives and a great way to boost both longevity and happiness. Recently, we invested in Coopah, a digital running coaching app.

Coopah offers personalised training plans, not just for runners aiming to achieve their best performance, but for anyone who wants to be part of the incredible community that Coopah has built. We have been big fans of Coopah from the beginning—so much so that one of our founders personally invested in the company!

Launching a fitness D2C (direct-to-consumer) app has become increasingly challenging, given the vast range of options available to users and the near saturation of the market. We have seen various iterations on what these apps offer. Now, we are also seeing more fitness apps positioning themselves as health and wellness platforms (taking a more holistic approach) or as specialised apps (such as those focused on trail running or ultra-marathon training).

When Pete started the business in 2021, he had one goal in mind: to build the largest community of runners by connecting them through personalised training programs, sharing their highs and lows along the way, and encouraging people to use running as a way to feel happier and less lonely. We would call it the revival of the sense of belonging. Combine those ideas with a lot of passion, a great team, and an awesome product, and you get what Coopah is today: thousands of runners using the app daily, sharing their stories on social media, helping the company grow to 20k+ followers on Instagram, and people recognising a Coopah runner by the bright orange logo on their T-shirt all around the world.

When it comes to fitness, as the old saying goes, “the best fitness plan is the one you stick with.” We believe this is true, but in the case of running, for example, paying attention to signs of customer engagement within the community and happiness can further boost the success of a brand. That’s where Coopah has truly nailed its approach and built its identity. In addition to delivering running plans that help you reach your goals, Coopah has fostered a loyal community of runners. This is reflected in the data, showing strong retention and an increasing Lifetime Value (LTV). Coopah has also been able to grow with minimal spending, driving strong organic growth through word of mouth.

Running is an ever-growing sport that was boosted during COVID, as gym workouts and studio classes faced challenges. Beyond running, we also saw a spike in people researching "how to start running" and seeking a more educational approach to the sport. This trend can be explained by the fact that around 58% of new runners give up within the first 30 days. Today, the market continues to grow, and the demand to "learn how to run" is increasing. According to Coopah, running participation is growing by 57% annually in the UK.

We believe that this fundraising will drive even faster growth in the UK, as well as internationally, by scaling marketing efforts and investing in the core product. The company has already made a key new hire with the appointment of Gareth Nettleton, ex-Strava, as its new Chief Marketing Officer.

The £1.5m funding round was led by Redrice Ventures and Active Partners, with participation from Rianta Capital and London Marathon Events.