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§ Private Profile · 581 6th Ave. New York, NY 10011
Developer of AI-powered robotic massage systems delivering personalized, automated therapy for wellness, hospitality, and fitness markets.
Based in New York City, Aescape develops fully automated, AI-powered robotic massage systems designed to deliver personalized bodywork and recovery therapies. The company operates on a hardware-as-a-service and revenue-sharing model, partnering with commercial operators in the premium fitness, luxury hospitality, and wellness sectors to install its interactive tables. Users control their individual massage experience, including pressure and target areas, through an integrated touchscreen interface while robotic arms perform the physical therapy. To support manufacturing and commercial deployment, the enterprise has raised approximately $85 million in total funding, which includes a $30 million Series A round. Aescape is backed by prominent venture capital investors such as Valor Siren Ventures, Crosslink Capital, and Foundry Group, while its initial public rollout features installations at select Equinox fitness clubs. The company was founded in 2017 by Eric Litman.
Aescape has raised $199.0M across 4 funding rounds.
Aescape has raised $199.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Aescape is a New York-based technology company founded in 2017 that develops AI-powered robotic massage tables to deliver fully automated, personalized massage experiences.[1][2][3][4] It addresses the U.S. massage industry's labor shortage of approximately 29,000 therapists—causing over $2 billion in lost revenue—by enabling spas, hotels, fitness centers, and wellness operators to meet demand with consistent, on-demand services.[1][4] The product serves consumers seeking customizable recovery sessions (15-60 minutes, starting at $39) via an app, targeting hospitality, professional sports, fitness, and mainstream markets, with strong early traction including partnerships like Equinox and high repeat usage rates.[2][4][6]
Aescape has raised $128 million total, including an $83 million strategic round led by Valor Equity Partners, to scale operations and expand partnerships.[2] Its vision is to empower people to "live healthier and happier lives" through innovative wellness technology that complements, rather than replaces, human therapists.[1][4]
Aescape was founded in 2017 by Eric Litman, who serves as CEO, drawing on a team of experts from Amazon, Apple, Fitbit, Peloton, Uber, and others in robotics, hardware, and software.[1][2][4] The idea emerged from recognizing the massage therapy labor crisis—driven by physical demands and better job alternatives—after consulting athletes, gym-goers, and diverse body types over seven years.[1][4] Early development focused on replicating seven therapist touch techniques with AI, body-scanning tech generating 1.1 million 3D data points, and user controls via touchscreen or app.[2][4]
Pivotal moments include a 2024 debut at 10 Equinox locations in NYC, proving high utilization, and the recent $83 million raise (part of $128 million total) to accelerate growth.[2][4] Recent hires like SVP of Engineering Eswar Priyadarshan (ex-Apple, Adobe) bolster scalability.[2]
Aescape rides the convergence of AI robotics, wellness tech, and labor automation in a $19 billion massage industry strained by shortages, aligning with post-pandemic demand for accessible recovery amid rising fitness and longevity trends.[1][4] Timing is ideal as AI hardware matures (e.g., precise manipulators) and consumers embrace app-controlled self-care, similar to Peloton's workout disruption.[2][6] Market forces like therapist attrition and wellness integration in hospitality/sports favor it, while partnerships amplify adoption—positioning Aescape to influence ecosystem by enabling 24/7 services, reducing costs, and standardizing quality for operators like Equinox.[2][4]
It complements human therapists, potentially expanding industry capacity and inspiring robotic wellness in adjacent areas like physical therapy.[1][4]
Aescape is poised to dominate automated wellness with its $128 million war chest fueling multi-market expansion (hospitality, sports, fitness) and tech refinements like enhanced AI scalability.[2] Trends in AI personalization, labor automation, and hybrid human-tech services will propel growth, potentially capturing significant share of unmet demand as robotic precision improves.[1][2][4] Influence may evolve by partnering with more global brands, filing further patents, and integrating into everyday routines—transforming massage from luxury to essential recovery, much like its origins aimed to democratize for every body.[1][6]
Aescape has raised $199.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Aescape's investors include Valor Equity Partners, AlleyCorp, Alumni Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Craig Shapiro, Darco Capital, Fifth Wall, Ahmir Khalib Thompson, Bradley Horowitz, John Legend, Kevin Love, LeBron James.
Aescape has raised $199.0M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $83.0M Other Equity in March 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 4, 2025 | $83M Venture Round | Valor Equity Partners | — | Announced |
| Mar 1, 2025 | $83M Series U | Valor Equity Partners | AlleyCorp, Alumni Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Craig Shapiro, Darco Capital, Fifth Wall, Ahmir Khalib Thompson, Bradley Horowitz, John Legend, Kevin Love, Lebron James, Mark Cuban, ROB MAY | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2022 | $30M Series A | Valor Equity Partners | AlleyCorp, Alumni Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Craig Shapiro, Darco Capital, Fifth Wall, Ahmir Khalib Thompson, Bradley Horowitz, John Legend, Kevin Love, Lebron James, Mark Cuban, ROB MAY | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2022 | $3M Seed | — | AlleyCorp | Announced |