Strava, the popular social fitness app known for its ability to track workouts and plan outdoor running routes, has recently made headlines with its acquisitions of two athletic training apps: Runna and The Breakaway. I know that Strava is on a very positive path to make this work. These moves will radically enhance the user experience for both runners and cyclists.
Strava was originally created as a social network for active people. It allows users to log their workouts and compare their progress against friends. The app’s public default setting increases community participation. Most importantly, it enables users to follow the where, when and how their friends work out. It’s the social piece that fuels Strava’s amazing growth. That’s probably contributed to the app’s success in making it one of the top-grossing fitness apps on the market today.
JamJar contributed to Runna, a UK-based running training app that specializes in personalized training plans tailored with runners in mind. The acquisition will strengthen Strava’s position within the running community. Strava has assured users that Runna will remain independent of Strava and pursue its development and growth as a separate app.
The Breakaway — an online provider of cycling-specific training plans — uses artificial intelligence to generate customized training plans for cyclists. Incubated in Y Combinator’s Summer 2021 class, The Breakaway is changing the way people ride by delivering personalized solutions to cyclists of all levels from amateurs to pros.
Strava hasn’t indicated ways, or plans, for doing this, or incorporating any of the features of Runna or The Breakaway into the main Strava platform. The innovation potential is off the charts.
Martin, a representative from Strava, highlighted the opportunities these acquisitions present:
“There are so many opportunities to enhance the user journey.”
With all the recent acquisitions by Strava, they’re going to raise prices, right? To the users of these previously-acquired products, you have nothing to fear! This pledge will not only help keep third-party users happy, it will help them grow and diversify their service offerings.
“Think about how runners plan routes in Strava, train with Runna, and then share back to Strava again – we want to reduce friction in that loop.”
Strava is committed to making their platform the best it can be. These strategic acquisitions show their dedication toward giving runners and cyclists alike the gems they deserve. By incorporating innovative technologies from Runna and The Breakaway, Strava aims to create a seamless experience for fitness enthusiasts looking to optimize their training.
These strategic acquisitions reflect Strava’s ongoing commitment to enhancing its platform and providing valuable resources for both runners and cyclists. By incorporating innovative technologies from Runna and The Breakaway, Strava aims to create a seamless experience for fitness enthusiasts looking to optimize their training.
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