Sweatpals, the community-driven fitness platform pioneering social connection through movement, has raised $12 million in seed funding led by Patron, a16z speedrun, and Kevin Hart’s HartBeat Ventures. The funding will accelerate Sweatpals’ expansion across the United States and enhance its technology for gyms, studios, instructors, and wellness hosts to build thriving fitness communities.
As Americans increasingly turn from nightlife to wellness-oriented social activities, Sweatpals is leading what it calls the “daylife movement,” redefining how people connect through fitness rather than through alcohol or digital-only platforms. The company’s platform enables users to discover and host in-person fitness classes, events, and experiences that help forge meaningful social bonds while creating new income streams for instructors and community organizers.
Founded by Salar Shahini and Mandi Zhou, Sweatpals already operates in 24 cities, with plans to launch in 12 more markets by early 2026. The company reports that fitness hosts using Sweatpals gain an average of 30% more customers through the platform. With this new round, Sweatpals will invest in four main areas: new studio and event management tools, nationwide expansion, enhanced monetization for hosts, and improved social features to strengthen community engagement.
The investor syndicate also includes Max Mullen (Co-founder of Instacart), WndrCo (Jeffrey Katzenberg, Founder of DreamWorks Animation), Antler, Pear, and Deb Liu (CEO of Ancestry, formerly Facebook Marketplace). This latest round brings Sweatpals’ total funding to $17.2 million.
KEY QUOTES:
“When I first saw Sweatpals, I immediately recognized it as the future of how we connect. As someone who’s built my career on bringing people together through entertainment, I see Sweatpals doing the same thing through fitness. They’re leading a movement that makes wellness accessible, social, and fun, and it’s exactly the kind of innovation that excites me as an investor.”
Kevin Hart, Founder, HartBeat Ventures
“Sweatpals represents a fundamental shift in consumer social behavior. While others focus on digital engagement, Sweatpals drives real-world community formation with built-in monetization. They’ve cracked the code on making community building both meaningful and economically sustainable.”
Andrew Chen, General Partner, a16z speedrun
“We’re building the infrastructure for human connection in an increasingly lonely world. This funding allows us to accelerate our vision where every gym, studio, park, and community space becomes a hub for meaningful relationships – where daylife becomes as iconic as nightlife once was.”
Salar Shahini, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Sweatpals
“What excites us most is how Sweatpals empowers everyday people to become community leaders and entrepreneurs. We’re seeing yoga instructors, run club organizers, and fitness enthusiasts turn their passion into purpose – building communities that truly change lives.”
Mandi Zhou, Co-founder, Sweatpals
“Sweatpals is turning wellness into the new social currency. They’re bridging tech, community, and culture to create lasting change in how people connect – that’s a movement worth backing.”
Amber Atherton, Partner, Patron
