Kevin Hart's entertainment venture arm just backed the next big thing in AI-powered wellness. Simple, the weight-loss app that's built a $160 million annual recurring revenue business with its AI coach named Avo, closed a $35 million Series B led by Hartbeat Ventures. The funding signals celebrity investors are betting big on AI health tech that's already processing 300,000 daily meal logs.
Kevin Hart's venture into health tech just got serious. The comedian's investment firm Hartbeat Ventures led a $35 million Series B round for Simple, an AI-powered weight-loss app that's quietly built one of the most successful subscription businesses in wellness.
The funding comes as Simple hits some impressive metrics - $160 million in annual recurring revenue with 700,000 paying subscribers. That puts the company in rare territory for health apps, competing directly with established players like Noom, WeightWatchers, and MyFitnessPal.
What makes Simple different is Avo, its AI coach that launched in 2023. The system handles over 100,000 coaching conversations daily and processes nearly 300,000 meal logs, according to founder Mike Prytkov. "The coaching is delivered through a chat powered by LLMs that adapt tone and content to each person, with memory for long-term context," Prytkov told TechCrunch.
Prytkov started Simple in 2019 after his own weight struggles while building his previous company, an adtech firm called Appness. He tried extreme workouts and calorie tracking but found consistency was the missing piece. "What he really wanted was a coach who would keep him accountable," he said, which became Simple's core premise.
The AI coach approach is paying off. Unlike competitors that focus on calorie tracking or generic lessons, Avo provides personalized meal feedback and adapts daily plans across nutrition, fasting, and movement habits. "We provide personalized coaching, not just tracking," Prytkov explained. "Avo adapts daily plans across nutrition, fasting, movement, and habits, as it provides real-time meal feedback and tailored check-ins."
The timing couldn't be better. Virtual wellness has become the "default front door" for weight management as people seek affordable, accessible alternatives to in-person coaching. Simple is also positioning itself as a complement to the booming GLP-1 medication market, acting as a "behaviour engine" that helps users maintain healthy routines after medications stop.
Hartbeat Ventures approached Simple after the Avo launch two years ago, though the company wasn't actively fundraising. "At the time, we weren't looking for investors, but HartBeat Ventures felt like an amazing fit for us," Prytkov said. The round also included private credit firm Liquidity.
For Hart's firm, which already has health investments in its portfolio, Simple represents a bet on AI's ability to scale personalized coaching. The app's learning system gets smarter with every interaction - "Every dialogue, every logged meal feeds a closed-loop learning system that updates each person's profile and improves our cohort-level models," Prytkov noted.
The company plans to use the funding to expand its GLP-1 companion features and launch specialized programs for women's health and midlife wellness. Eventually, Prytkov wants to move beyond weight loss into sleep, stress, and movement coaching. "Our vision is to become the Duolingo of health," he said, referencing the language-learning app's gamified daily habit approach.
With the celebrity backing and strong unit economics, Simple is positioning itself for the next wave of AI health applications. The company's success shows there's real demand for personalized coaching that doesn't feel clinical - a key differentiator as the wellness app market continues to explode.
Simple's $35 million raise shows how AI is reshaping wellness apps beyond simple tracking. With Kevin Hart's backing and $160 million in ARR, the company is well-positioned to challenge incumbents like Noom by offering truly personalized coaching at scale. As GLP-1 medications create new opportunities for behavioral support and consumers demand more accessible health solutions, Simple's AI-first approach could define the next generation of wellness technology.
