When you think about the deadliest diseases to humans, what comes to mind? Breast cancer, heart disease, lung cancer? Alzheimers? What about obesity?
In 2016, the NHS reported that obesity had become one of the leading causes of death in the UK, especially in men. Similar reports have been released recently stating the same for most countries throughout Europe and The Americas.
So what's the cause of this dramatic worldwide increase?
Sitting for long periods of time – either at a desk whilst working or studying, or on the sofa watching your favourite series on Netflix.
Swapping healthy balanced breakfasts for sugary, on-the-go substitutes.
Preparing processed foods for dinner, high in salt, sugar and saturated fats, because they're "easier and quicker to make" than a healthy meal.
Skipping your planned session at the gym because you're too tired after a long day at work.
Catching the bus or metro, or driving your car instead of walking because it's started raining.
Grabbing a cold can of Coke instead of a bottle of water to quench your thirst.
The reality is, in the modern world, it's very easy to make excuses and fall into bad habits. However, there has been a rise in recent years of fitness fanatics and health-focussed companies rising to fame by encouraging everyone to get up off the sofa and off out to the gym. See the likes of Kayla Itsines, the #thisgirlcan campaign and Joe Wicks, The Bodycoach for examples.
However, many advice articles and encouraging health plans include the advice to drink protein shakes between 1 and 5 times per day, or rub creams that claim to help your muscles recover quicker after workouts.
But what if these products are actually hindering your over goals to be fit and healthy?
Although the companies we feature on the Capital Cell investment platform usually have a strong focus on pharmaceuticals, drug discovery, therapeutics, medical devices and biotechnology, this new arrival to the Spanish site has a strong lean toward different areas of life science: Health & Wellness and Natural Supplements.
Velites Sport is a company on a mission to tackle obesity and other physical and mental health-issues, through exercise. They have developed a line of pre and post workout products, which aim to assist keep-fitters, without the related chemical risks of competitor products. The line includes natural-ingredient regenerative balms and creams that aid muscle recovery between workouts, and a high speed skipping rope, which enables jumpers to perform a higher intensity workout. Velites Sport is encouraging everyone to get active and improve their health, with a particular focus on the popular CrossFit market.
We interviewed Matías Hernández, Velites Sport CEO, about the inspiration for his company and their drive to improve the lives of millions.
Capital Cell: If you had to describe Velites Sport in 5 words, what would they be?
Capital Cell: What inspired you to start the company?
Matías: We saw an interesting opportunity and took it! Those who take part in CrossFit and obstacle races do so for the primary purpose of enhancing their physical and mental health. However, at present, some products on the market actually hinder or harm health enthusiasts.
By way of example, we found that the majority of participants use chemical sports creams that contain petroleum derivatives without knowing the risks. And hydrate themselves, or take sports supplements, using plastic bottles that release potentially harmful particles into their bodies.
Ultimately, some product lines are circulating around the sports world that do not help their users reach their goal of being healthier. This fact also highlights the lack of accurate information that CrossFitters or other sports enthusiasts receive regarding the products they use and consume.
We found that these market inconsistencies represented a clear opportunity to design products that offer a natural and high quality alternative to these lines of chemical products.
Velites products are natural, healthy and include the necessary instructions to ensure they are properly used. These products help the user reach their goals in a clearer and more efficient way than the market alternatives.
Capital Cell: How do your pre and post workout products aim to improve health and wellness for the users?
Matías: Our creams help people train safer and with less pain. The idea behind them was to get people to recover faster from small injuries and soreness so that they could focus on training, whilst maintaining a safe state for their bodies.
After one and a half years of experimenting we developed our formula. It is the first Bio certificate line of pre and post workout lotions specifically developed for the functional fitness community.
They also include a step-by-step course with all the information for maintaining a healthy body. This course focuses on stretching, mobility and automassage techniques that reduce fatigue, soreness and injury.
Capital Cell: In your opinion, why are Crossfit, HiiT (High Intensity Interval Training) and Circuit Training such popular forms of exercise?
Matías: The need to move is etched in our genes! We all know the benefits of doing sports both mentally and physically.
But we also have this desire to belong to a group – this tribe behaviour that somehow has been lost in the plenitude and diversity of cities.
I think we had lost the connection with the rawness and intensity of nature a bit. I really believe that the CrossFit and obstacle race movements have become such a big trend because they bring back the feelings that are so connected to our primal selves: nature rawness, intensity and tribe belonging. And the instinct to by healthy and active.
Capital Cell: How do these forms of exercise impact overall health and wellness?
Matías: In modern life they become a clear 'stress reliever' and even a way of feeling that we are somehow better humans. During the workouts you push yourself to the limit and achieve things you never thought you would be able to do. This feels like clear progress – and progress usually makes us feel happy… especially when you share it with others, on Facebook or Instagram, for example. Which our community of customers do a lot!
The Velites Sport equity crowdfunding campaign is live on the Capital Cell platform.
They're raising 300k€ to push the development of the brand and reach out to new sales markets, in an area in the fitness industry which has been growing exponentially in Spain since 2012.
Discover more about this investment opportunity here and help shape the future of the health and wellness market.