Former national basketball player takes over Vaha

Vadim Fedotov, founder of Bioniq, wants to integrate the fitness start-up into his platform's offering.

Former national basketball player Vadim Fedotov and the nutritional supplement startup he founded, Bioniq, are acquiring Vaha. The fitness startup, founded in 2019, offers an interactive fitness mirror. Acting as a virtual personal trainer, it uses artificial intelligence to stream workout routines from a selection of more than 2,000 workouts into the home. Founder Valerie Bures, who also launched the fitness chain for women Mrs. Sporty, developed the exercises with scientists, medical professionals and IT experts. She remains with the company as a board member and shareholder.

Vaha's offerings will now be available on the company's platform. Fedotov's startup is active in eight countries so far and plans to expand into four more, including the U.S., by the end of next year. Bioniq investors include Porsche Ventures, Unbound Ventures and TQ Ventures. German national soccer team goalkeeper Manuel Neuer also has a stake in Vaha.

"Health has many crucial factors, one of the most important being daily activity," Fedotov says. "This is a glimpse into the future of personalized health in the form of customized wellness solutions and home fitness."