NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, a seasoned group of roboticists, brand builders, and hardware and software engineers unveiled Aescape: the first commercially available fully automated, customizable massage experience to give people more control of their self-care. With $80 million in funding and a goal toward bringing personalized wellness robotics to the masses, the company has partnered with Equinox to debut its AI-enhanced massage table at 10 locations across New York City this spring.
Founded in 2017 by Eric Litman, a serial entrepreneur with four successful exits, Aescape’s veteran leadership includes Sam Bowen (hardware at Amazon), Becca Valle (global marketing at Meta, Airbnb and New York Knicks), and Alex Linde (product at Uber, eBay and Yahoo!) among others. The company has collaborated with thousands of individuals — spanning elite athletes to everyday individuals of diverse body types — leveraging extensive research, development, and rigorous testing before coming out of stealth. Core to Aescape’s customizability is its use of AI, continually improving its understanding of the human body and personalized preferences to elevate rest, recovery, and relaxation offerings.
Transforming self-care through human-informed, AI-driven insights
“Aescape aims to makes massage an accessible, integral part of rest and recovery, no longer reserved for indulgence or injury,” said Eric Litman, Founder and CEO. “Working alongside massage therapists over the last seven years, we’ve honed our technology to ensure it caters to diverse body types and lifestyles. It’s designed for anyone looking to book last-minute, or looking for control over their massage when therapists aren’t always available.”
Aescape's flagship product – a fully automated, AI-driven massage table – employs advanced AI technology for a precise and personalized experience. By scanning the user's body and generating over 1.1 million 3D data points, it accurately maps the body's position on the table and identifies key anatomical points for targeted massage. Users access a touchscreen interface to choose from a variety of treatments tailored to their unique body profile, providing control over target areas, pressure points, and music selection. Aescape remembers individual body characteristics and personal preferences to deliver customized massage experiences, from deep tissue to quick recovery, meeting the specific needs and preferences of each user.
See the Aescape experience here.
"I’m invested in my mental and physical wellness, and as a result - Aescape,” said Aescape investor and NBA Champion, Kevin Love. “Aescape allows me to opt into massage on my terms and my time. It’s the type of personalized and consistent offering I crave as a busy athlete, dad, and husband.”
Aescape enters the $19 billion massage therapy industry amid a significant shortage of over 29,000 therapists to offer an always-available solution that will help spas, resorts, hotels, and other wellness partners meet existing demand and realize increased revenue. It’s currently partnered with category leaders across the hospitality and wellness industries, including major hotels, wellness clubs, spas, and corporate offices who will be among the first to launch The Aescape Experience at their locations throughout 2024.
“We’re relentlessly focused on how we can help our community of high-performing individuals live better, healthier lives,” said James Gu, Senior Director, Equinox Spa. “As we continue to innovate with science backed preparation and recovery modalities, and new technologies, we are excited to offer Aescape. This personalized and accessible format will help our members further integrate recovery into their lifestyle.”
Want to Aescape? Join our Early Access Program
Aescape is offering an Early Access Program in New York City starting today. Early Access members who book massages will have the opportunity to provide feedback and insights that shape and refine the Aescape experience.
To learn more and book your Early Access session, please visit www.aescape.com.
Potential business partners interested in exploring Aescape’s elevated wellness offerings can reach out directly to partnerships@aescape.com.
About Aescape (pronounced “escape”)
Aescape is a New York-based lifestyle 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, Meta, New York Knicks, Accenture, Uber, and more. The company is backed by $80 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.
About Equinox
Founded in 1991, Equinox was built on the notion that fitness can empower a life well-lived and foster a strong community of high-performance individuals. More than 30 years later, Equinox continues to lead and disrupt the category it defined, operating over 100 full-service fitness clubs globally across major US cities including New York, LA, Miami and San Francisco as well as London, Toronto and Vancouver, each featuring bespoke design in an unparalleled luxury environment. Grounded in the core tenets of Movement, Nutrition and Regeneration and backed by a Health Advisory Board of industry-leading experts across these disciplines, the company offers a holistic approach to fitness, inclusive of Equinox signature group fitness classes, personal training, Pilates, spa services, apparel, experiential travel and food & beverage. For more information, visit www.equinox.com.
