RALEIGH – WAAM, the Raleigh-based startup behind the workout app that makes celebrity trainer workouts available to the masses, has exited.
The startup, founded by NC State grad Karly Pavlinac, has been acquired by The St. James, a wellness brand headquartered in Springfield, Virginia.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Pavlinac will now work as the director of Digital Product Development at The St. James.
“We are excited to partner with a larger organization to help grow the platform,” she told WRAL TechWire.
Screen shot of WAAM app
Pavlinac’s startup journey started back in 2017 when she was going through yoga teacher training.
“I kept writing down different flows and sequences when I said to myself, ‘I wish I had a video library of exercises I could sequence together to make a workout,’” she recalled.
So she took matters into her own hand.
While an undergrad at NC State, she developed WAAM, an acronym for “We Are A MOVEment,” which gives users access to well-known fitness trainers and their workouts where location and cost would have previously been a barrier.
Around the same time, she also participated in NC State’s Andrews Launch Accelerator, a 14-week summer program that steers fledgling companies in the right direction. Funded by a $1 million donation from philanthropists Lyn and Chip Andrews, it provides non-dilutive grants of between $5,000 to $50,000, as well as mentorship and resources.
It was through this program that she met David Gardner, founder and managing partner of Cary’s Cofounders Capital.
“He was one of the speakers for the week,” she said.
In time, Cofounders Capital invested $500,000 in the startup.
“This program changed my life,” Pavlinac said. “If it weren’t for the mentors, lessons, and guidance I received during this program I wouldn’t be where I am today. I gained more than just money; I gained lifelong friendships and connections. Going through the startup journey is tough and being around other entrepreneurs who had the same struggles as me was crucial.”
