Two Aussie startups that raised $1.9 million this week

It’s been a somewhat quieter week for startup funding news, but we’ve still managed to find innovative companies that have secured fresh capital to grow their businesses.

Keep reading to learn more about Pronto Pilates and Viewa, which combined have recently raised $1.9 million.

Pronto Pilates: $1.6 million

Western Australia-based Pronto Pilates leads this week’s funding round-up with a $1.6 million equity crowdfunding raise to help it accelerate its growth.

The raise, which saw 488 investors back the fast-growing business, represents the second-largest raise to be completed via OnMarket in 2024 and is the biggest crowdfunding raise to be completed in Australia so far this financial year.

Pronto Pilates is seeking to disrupt the reformer pilates category with affordable classes that are run without in-person trainers. Instead, participants follow videos of qualified instructors and depending on their monthly membership level, pay as little as $5 a class.

Already, the company has 15 studios across Australia and more than 20 in development, according to a statement provided to SmartCompany. It has attracted 6,000 members, who use its studios in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

The business was founded by Steve Anson and accredited pilates instructor Emma Shelton, who want to open 1000 studios by 2028, including in international markets such as Singapore, New Zealand and the United States.

“My wife and I fell in love with pilates back in 2022, but after paying more than $500 on classes in one week, we woke up to ourselves and realised just how out of touch and elitist pilates is for the average person,” said Anson in the statement.

“Everything about pilates is exclusionary and intimidating, from the high costs, to working up the courage to join a studio and attend classes as a beginner. I wanted to create an alternative that was affordable and accessible for all, leveraging my tech and business expertise to disrupt an industry that had obvious flaws.

“The class styles, pace, cues and moves are created with our members in mind, to give them a quality workout with little to no risk,” he added.

Viewa: $300,000

Early-stage investor Skalata backed Melbourne-based Viewa with $300,000 in pre-seed funding earlier this month, as the startup seeks to help e-commerce retailers convert more buyers with the use of augmented reality (AR).

As reported by Startup Daily, Viewa’s web-based platform combines 3D, AR and generative AI to help bring product listings to life for online shoppers.

The platform can reportedly increase conversions from retailers’ online stores by up to 94%, while also helping reduce the number of items being returned to retailers by unsatisfied customers.

Viewa was founded in 2017 by chief revenue officer Kyle Young and CEO Ed Sedgley, and already has 50 customers on board using its tech. Furniture retailer M+Co Living has been highlighted as one retailer that is in the process of setting up Viewa’s AR software across 100 retailers.

“Our mantra is ‘seeing is believing’,” said Sedgley to Startup Daily.

“Confident purchasing means infinitely better experiences for the customer, conversions increased by as much as 94% for the retailer, and massively reduced headaches for everyone when buyers buy the right product, the first time.”

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