Australian technology start up mPort today announced its expansion into the US, starting with the world’s largest fitness chain, LA Fitness. The announcement follows rapid growth in Australia.
mPort’s 3D body measurement innovation, mPod, is the only fully-automated technology that provides a complete 3D image of a user’s body and all the necessary data for a comprehensive health overview – including BMI, body composition, body fat composition and more. mPort has already attracted more than 100,000 users in Australia.
mPort launched in Australia in 2013 and since then it has become one of Australia’s fastest growing start ups, securing Westfield as a major partner and raising $12 million investment from private backers. mPort’s expansion into the US represents its first international market, and the technology company has received interest from every major market around the world.
A three-month pilot with LA Fitness led to mPort signing an agreement with the fitness chain that will see mPods in LA Fitness centres nationally in the US, starting with California.
“As much as we like to think we are the same, we are not. A human body comes in every shape and size, and one size does not fit all when it comes to health and fitness. In a world fixated on weight and waist size, mPort is championing a new era in body health assessment with a mission to help users understand their own body shape and live a confident, healthier life,” said mPort co-founder and CEO, Dipra Ray.
“We’re thrilled to expand our footprint into the United States and to be working with LA Fitness. We look forward to enhancing the health journeys of LAF members across their locations nationwide.”
“LA Fitness has always stressed the health benefits of staying with a fitness regimen – in fact those benefits are the cornerstone of our mission statement. Tracking progress is essential to any program, and seeing progress is the core of motivation,” said Bill Horner, Senior Vice President/Chief Real Estate Officer, LA Fitness.
“mPod technology provides feedback on progress in increments that most people haven’t seen before, and delivers it with the speed that consumers have come to expect in everything these days. We feel that the mPod is an invaluable tool in refining workouts to maximise benefits and provide that sometimes elusive “motivation” through almost real-time feedback on progress, and we are excited to be bringing it into our clubs for our members.”
mPods use safe, non-invasive infrared technology to capture 200,000 data points to map an individual’s unique body shape. The user’s body is not exposed to any radiation, which makes the mPods safe to use for all ages, including pregnant women and people living with pacemakers.
The mPod data helps users understand how their measurements affect their personal health and wellbeing, allowing them to set and visualise goals and track changes in their body over time. An accompanying mPort app for iOS and Android gives users real-time monitoring of their health record and progress.
There are currently 20 mPods in major shopping centres across Australia and its local growth is set to continue with several more mPod locations rolling out nationally in the coming months.
