Health tech startup Exakt Health, which offers the first digital sports physiotherapy certified as a medical device in Germany, has raised €2 million Seed funding. 

Effective prevention of running injuries requires personalised training plans that consider a runner’s condition and progress. 

To date, the existing offering on the market has been inadequate for amateur runners: Personal running coaches or physiotherapists, who create individual training plans and provide personal support for ongoing questions and adjustments, are very expensive. 

On the other hand, pre-packaged running plans are static and cannot be adapted to runners’ actual ability and fitness. They also do not take into account possible pain, injury, under- or over-adaptation, illness or training breaks, which, in the worst case, can lead to new injuries and chronic conditions.

Exakt Health’s new AI-based running plans address the limitations of traditional static plans. 

“While pre-packaged running plans are often static and inflexible, Exakt Health’s new running plans dynamically adapt to each user’s individual fitness level, injury risks and progress. The use of AI helps to digitally replicate the coaching of professional trainers, offering all runners – from beginners to pros – an individual and balanced plan. By digitising personal running plans, we are filling a gap in the market, as it is not only cost-effective but also holistic and preventive,” explains Exakt Health CEO and co-founder Philip Billaudelle.

Since the beginning of September, 300,000 customers of German private health insurance Barmenia can benefit from the new offering.

Exakt Health can be used as a free component of their health insurance. The partnership gives Exakt Health expanded access to a large group of insured people, while Barmenia can offer its policyholders an improved service. Collaborations between Exakt Health and other health insurance companies are already in the works.

Barmenia Next Strategies (BNS), the venture capital unit of Barmenia, led the round, which ESB Invest, and existing investors Backbone Ventures and Auxxo, as well as a group of notable business angels such as Maximilian Tayenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of N26, and HR expert Cornelia Oelling, founder and HR consultant.

According to Dr Jan Seidel, Managing Director of Barmenia Next Strategies: 

“The founding team of Exakt Health convinced us with their many years of experience and the scientifically sound approach of the app.

The effectiveness of the physiotherapy app shows us how digital solutions can shape modern, patient-centred healthcare. We are proud to be part of this success story.”

Exakt Health plans to use the new funding to expand its offering significantly: In addition to digital programmes to treat and prevent running injuries, the company will launch intelligent,

AI-based running training plans in the coming weeks – a groundbreaking addition for runners looking for personalised training that dynamically adapts to their progress and physical condition. The company will also conduct extensive clinical studies to provide ongoing medical validation of its expanded offering.

“With the launch of our running training plans, we are setting a new standard and aim to grow our user base from 200,000 to over one million in the next 18 months”, explains Exakt Health CEO and co-founder Philip Billaudelle.

Lead image: Exakt Health. Photo: uncredited.