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60 •
PPB
• APRIL 2016
THINK
Fitness App
Hooks
Shark
Tank
Investor
TECH TALK
NEW FITNESS APPS
pop
up almost as often as CrossFit
boxes, but one has managed to
keep from drowning by getting
the attention of celebrity
investors. Sworkit, a leading
provider of personal-
ized video work-
outs for iOS and
Android devices,
made
Shark Tank
history by striking
a $1.5-million
deal with shark
investor Mark
Cuban, making it
the show’s largest tech deal
and third-overall largest deal.
Sworkit, which stands for
“simply work it,” is a free, inter-
active fitness app offering users
both customizable and random-
ized workouts that can be per-
formed anywhere, without any
equipment required.
Sworkit CEO Ben Young and
COO Gregory Coleman negotiated a
deal with Cuban at $1.5 million for
10 percent of their company. The
investment will be used to help dou-
ble the app’s staff and help the com-
pany evolve from an app to a full-
fledged platform. Sworkit’s leaders
say they are planning to launch a web
version of the app as well as offering it
on Apple TV, Google TV and Roku.
Sworkit, a leading provider of person-
alized video workouts for iOS and
Android devices,
made
Shark Tank
history by striking a $1.5-million deal
with investor Mark Cuban.
ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRING
military defeats gave rise to an iconic
motto, “Remember the Alamo!” Custom
license plate vendor MyPlates commemo-
rated the 180th anniversary of Texas’ inde-
pendence with the auction of a
one-of-a-
kind branded license plate bearing the
word ALAMO
. The auction ran from
February 23 to March 6—the same time
period as the Siege of the Alamo.
In addition to the plate’s significance
as a vehicular singularity, the winning bid-
der received rights to legally transfer rights
to the ALAMO plate design, either by
gifting it to someone or by selling the
plate to another driver. The winning bid of
$10,250 came from a San Antonio resi-
dent. Proceeds from the auction will bene-
fit the Alamo Endowment and the state’s
General Revenue Fund.
Taking History
ON THE ROAD
PHOTO BY JOE SEER/SHUTTERSTOCK