Exclusive - Endomondo, which offers users a way to automatically track their sports data and monitor their performance over time, has raised $2.3 million from SEED Capital, TechCrunch has learned.
The Danish startup says its Sports Tracker social fitness app, which turns mobile phones into “full-fledged personal trainers”, has been downloaded 5 million times (PDF) to date.
The additional capital will help Endomondo set up an office in Silicon Valley, and explore revenue opportunities in order to reach profitability by the end of 2012.
Endomondo aims to make fitness more fun with social factors to inspire and motivate users.
Says Mette Lykke, co-founder of Endomondo:
“It’s not that people don’t know exercising is good for them, it’s just that they lack the motivation.
We don’t believe that aggregating people’s health data is gonna do the trick alone. People will change behavior when they are motivated because something caught their interest or when faced with positive social peer pressure.
When users compare themselves to their peers, especially close connections like friends and family, then the fun and social factor works for fitness and they get motivated.”
Endomondo’s Sports Tracker app, which was first launched in September 2008, can be used for running, cycling, walking and all other distance-based outdoor sports.
Using GPS, the app tracks route, distance, duration, split times, calorie consumption, and more, while providing audio feedback on performance.
Endomondo is where you keep track of your sports activities, challenge your friends, and follow them live while they are working out. You can track your activities with most GPS mobile phones or a Garmin device, or you can choose to enter your workouts manually. Endomondo can be used for all distance based sports - running, biking, hiking and kayaking are just a few examples.
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