• by Colin Kirkland , Staff Writer, September 21, 2022

FitBit, Strava, Nike Runner’s Club, Google Fit, My Fitness Pal, 7 Minute Workout: Watch out. There may be a new “social” fitness app in town.

News broke on Tuesday that a new gamified activity tracking platform raised $1.5 million in a funding round led by Bungalow Capital and other major companies like Uber, GitHub, Google, LinkedIn and Apple.

The app is called Any Distance, and it’s on a mission to enhance global wellness through movement while also providing a gamified community experience along the way.

Any Distance lets users share their active life in new ways while tracking physical activity and earning collectibles in what founder CEO Luke Beard calls a “move-to-earn marketplace.” Here, achievements can be unlocked by choosing to walk or run somewhere rather than drive.

Similar to the model Starbucks Odyssey will be based on, along with other rewards-based NFT projects, Any Distance also offers physical items to users who want to redeem earned digital collectibles on the app.

The app visualizes users' routes in 3D and augmented reality (AR) along with customizable health stats. In doing so, the company says it champions motivation and celebration over competition and comparison.

To promote safety and privacy, the app doesn’t share maps in user posts, and users have the choice to share location data -- or not. “We have a commitment to only store data where absolutely necessary and use the privacy-driven frameworks on Apple HealthKit as the backbone of the app,” Beard told Fitt Insider.

The app also plans to launch its own activity tracking experience for iPhone and Apple Watch.

“Reimagining activity tracking, we're not only creating a great digital experience but a lifestyle brand,” said Beard in a recent statement. “By prioritizing inclusivity, privacy, and safety, while tapping gamification, we're building a powerful platform and an inspiring community.”

The pandemic, global lockdowns and social distancing norms forced people to transition from traditional gyms to virtual at-home fitness regimens. In lieu of this massive change, the global fitness app market size was valued at $1.1 billion in 2021, and is expected to hit $4.8 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research.

According to Statista, revenue in the global fitness apps market is projected to reach $15.49 billion in 2022 and hit $33 billion by 2027. FitBit, for example, made $1.21 billion in 2021 and Strava made $167 million.

What Any Distance brings to the track that other leading fitness apps don’t is its design-forward amalgamation of a gamified community experience. Fitt Insider co-founder Anthony Vennare said that because of this, Any Distance is “defining the future of social fitness experiences.”