Traditional masseuses can use a hand, according to a young New York startup seeking to make waves with a robotic massage table.
Chelsea-based Aescape raised $83 million from investors hoping to propel the company’s next phase of growth as it pushes a fully automated massage table, equipped with articulated robotic arms reminiscent of a NASA rover that push and prod the body’s stress-addled tissue. Its founders say the table will offer on-demand rehab or spa experience with less human interaction and more bells and whistles than a conventional massage, which they believe will draw enough demand to justify expanding.
The funding round was led by Valor Equity Partners, which was founded by a former Tesla executive and has backed multiple businesses led by billionaire Elon Musk, including his flagship space company SpaceX. Other funders included Alumni Ventures, a large New Hampshire-based venture capital firm and existing investor in Aespace, and NBA star Kevin Love. Since its founding in 2017, the company has raised $128 million.
The company claims to use artificial intelligence to scan the body to locate its position on the table and map its pressure points. The table includes a touchscreen by which users can select their preferred massage settings and the atmospheric elements associated with the modern “wellness” industry, like ambient music. The computer system can remember a body’s contours and personal preferences for future uses, according to the company.
The table commercially debuted at Equinox gyms in August and has rolled out to luxury spas at high-end hotels like Four Seasons, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton. Along with the fund raise, which was announced on Tuesday, the company also unveiled an expanded partnership with Equinox, which is adding the device to 60 locations nationwide. Aescape’s website lists locations where users can book an appointment with the table, which costs $60 for a 30-minute session at a handful of the locations in the five boroughs. Along with the booking, users can select the massage regimen they seek, from upper back to “glute reboot.”
As part of its growth strategy, the company recently hired five leads to its sales team and appointed a chief marketing officer to help push the product into new markets. Aespace also added a new senior vice president of engineering to improve technical operations, including updating software and adding more content to the massage system’s programming options, said spokeswoman Molly O’Connor.
