The Berkeley, California-founded startup was named winner of the NFL Gamers Affiliation’s tenth annual Pitch Day, following within the footsteps of manufacturers like Whoop
Any professional athlete will inform you that sleep is a cornerstone of their efficiency and restoration, and the NFL Gamers Affiliation (NFLPA) simply doubled down on that with the winner of its tenth annual Pitch Day.
Somnee, the AI-powered good sleep headband that makes use of neurostimulation to assist customers go to sleep, claimed the highest spot on the yearly pitch competitors, which brings collectively athletes, entrepreneurs, buyers and main enterprise capital companies to judge the way forward for athlete-focused health and wellness merchandise.
“The NFLPA Pitch Day is totally crucial for us, particularly having the gamers validate what we’re doing as a union,” said Somnee CEO Tim Rosa. “We’re so excited. It creates a lot alternative, so we’re thrilled to be working with the NFLPA.
The startup was up in opposition to Epicore Biosystems, a sweat and electrolyte monitoring wearable, and Diddo, an AI-powered purchasing platform for video content material.
As this yr’s winner, Somnee was awarded Tremendous Bowl tickets, unique NFLPA occasion entry and focused enterprise help, together with skilled teaching and consultations on athlete advertising and marketing, fundraising and strategic progress.
Somnee’s triumph comes quickly after the model introduced the NBA would join as an investor, following the launch of the second technology of its headband.
Based in 2022 by a staff of College of California, Berkeley, neuroscientists together with well-known social media character Dr. Matt Walker, Somnee raised $10 million last year for its good sleep headband, which makes use of electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors and proprietary AI know-how to assist individuals go to sleep sooner, sleep for longer and enhance their general sleep high quality.
The NFLPA Pitch Day might function a predictor for Somnee’s future success, as different manufacturers have taken off after incomes the identical recognition.
In 2017, well being and health wearable maker Whoop gained the competitors, later changing into the official restoration wearable of the NFLPA, offering each NFL participant with their very own machine.
Three years in the past, customized telenutrition platform Culina Well being gained the highest prize. The model has since gone on to raise $7.9 million in a Series A funding spherical following 117% year-over-year progress.
