SweatPals

Today, Mandi and I are thrilled to announce that SweatPals has secured a $3M funding round, led by a16z SPEEDRUN and Pear VC. This investment accelerates our mission to bring the world together through fitness. This round holds special meaning for us for several reasons: When we launched SweatPals 18 months ago, we drew immense inspiration from The Cold Start Problem and the legendary marketplaces we admire. Today, partnering with Andrew Chen, the author and growth expert behind some of the most iconic companies, feels like a full-circle moment for us. We’re also honored to team up with Pejman Nozad of Pear VC. As fellow immigrants, Pejman’s incredible story of resilience and vision resonates deeply with us. His journey is a powerful reminder that with determination, anything is possible. A heartfelt thank you to Warren Shaeffer, whose unwavering belief in SweatPals from our very first meeting has already made him an invaluable partner. And a huge thanks to Robin Guo for being instrumental in making this round a reality and for his tremendous support to our team. Fitness is one of the rare spaces where people from all walks of life can come together. Our platform is designed to foster genuine and meaningful connections—centered around the unifying power of fitness. This journey wouldn’t be possible without the belief and support of our early backers. A special thank you to Jared Simon, Fardad Zabetian, Prerna Sharma, Parham A., and many others who have been with us from the beginning. Most importantly, to our incredible community: every creator, fitness entrepreneur, and member who has embraced the vision, shared it with a friend, or attended an event—you are the heartbeat of SweatPals. Your belief was so strong that you collectively invested $800K in the last round. We’re not just building this for you—we’re building it with you, and we’re grateful for every step of this journey together. If you know anyone looking to build a community or turn their passion for bringing people together into something bigger, now is the perfect time to get started on SweatPals. Please send any referrals my way! If you're excited to help shape the future and work with a team full of energy and passion, we’d love to hear from you! Check out our open positions or shoot me a DM to connect. Let’s build the future of fitness together. 🧡

If only there was an app for that 😉

Exciting opportunity alert!🤩 Come be a part of our SweatPals team to build the future of fitness together with the best and most supportive teammates! Open roles: Senior Marketing Manager: https://lnkd.in/gB8A-cQA Executive Assistant: https://lnkd.in/gPMZ7NZU Customer Success Manager: https://lnkd.in/g9W2ygSv Senior Graphic Designer: https://lnkd.in/ge52D9v7 Don’t see a position that fits you? Submit your resume via hello@sweatpals.com, and we’ll reach out when the right opportunity comes along!

🔥 Boulderfest 2024 by Bouldering Project was nothing short of EPIC! With over 2,000 people signing up through SweatPals, the energy was (literally) through the roof! 🧗♂️💥 From jaw-dropping sends to unbeatable community vibes, this comp showed what climbing is all about: grit, heart, and togetherness. 💪 Whether you topped out or gave it your all on the wall, you’ve inspired by showing up! 🙌 Keep the momentum going—your next climb is always the best one! ⛰️🚀

Krystal is one of the most inspiring and inclusive creators on the SweatPals platform. Her talent for building genuine connections within her community is remarkable. Don’t miss her valuable tips below!

We had an incredible time connecting with Kendra Scott, where we shared our passion for community, empowerment, and a little bit of pickleball! 💛🧡

Last week, a 12-year chapter of my life came to a close, and a new one began. In 2012, I moved to the United States with dreams of education and opportunity, eager to see what the future could hold. But just two years later, I faced one of the most significant challenges of my life: after earning my Master’s degree, my immigration status was denied, preventing me from continuing to live here and work on my new startup. This forced me to leave the country I had worked so hard to reach. Suddenly, I found myself in Istanbul, feeling lost and uncertain about the future. Returning to my home country of Iran wasn’t an option due to sanctions at the time that would have made it impossible for me to return to the U.S.  Those were some of the toughest days of my life. Despite publishing 16 journal papers and co-authoring a patent in those two years, I felt like everything I had worked for was slipping away. I was offered to go to other places in the world to study or work, but I knew deep down that if I wanted to be in a place where hard work and perseverance could truly shape my destiny, I needed to find a way back to the U.S. With the unwavering support of my grad school professors and friends, who believed in me enough to write 22 letters of recommendation—including one from the president of Northeastern University—I returned to the U.S. on a new visa. I returned with a renewed sense of purpose and gratitude for the chance to continue my journey here. Since then, I’ve bought a house, exited my first company, and launched my second one, SweatPals, driven by the same dreams that brought me here over a decade ago. And now, I’m beyond proud to say that I am a U.S. citizen. My immigration journey has taught me the power of resilience, community, and believing in yourself even when the odds are against you. I am endlessly grateful to everyone who stood by me when times were tough, and to all who have been part of this journey. Here’s to dreaming big, working hard, and making a positive impact. Together, we can achieve anything.

Saturday mornings on SweatPals > your Friday night at the bar. Big shoutout to the Cold Plunge Club on the SweatPals app for bringing together hundreds of people every month to kick off their weekends with wellness and community!

We are beyond excited to announce that SweatPals is the official platform for the epic 2024 Boulderfest competition by Bouldering Project! 🌟 A huge shoutout to the amazing Bouldering Project team for using SweatPals to power this monumental event, spanning 9 cities and 5,000 fierce competitors and enthusiastic spectators. This is truly the Super Bowl of Bouldering! Mark your calendars and get ready for the action in Austin, Dallas, Boston, Seattle, DC, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and NYC. You won't want to miss this!

We're beyond excited to announce that Cooldown Running, one of the largest nationwide run clubs with chapters in 12 cities, has joined SweatPals! 🎉 If you’re in Denver, New York City, Austin, Minneapolis, Boston, San Diego, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Colorado Springs, Chicago, or Nashville, you can now join Cooldown’s weekly runs right from the SweatPals app. Connect with fellow runners in your city through group chats, and whether you're a sexy pacer or a speed demon, everyone is welcome! 🏃♂️ Join the fun and get moving: https://lnkd.in/gQqU455Z