Entrepreneur UK's London 100: MAGIC AI
Industry: Technology
MAGIC AI is the world's first AI personal trainer – a mirror that uses cutting-edge holographic technology to create an immersive fitness experience.
Awarded Time Magazine's 'World's Best Inventions' and winning 'New Business of the Year' at the Lloyd's Bank's British Business Excellence Awards in 2024, MAGIC AI has now landed a place on the coveted Entrepreneur UK London100 list.
MAGIC AI has gone from a lockdown idea to closing more than $7.5m in funding in just four years.
Varun Bhanot is the founder behind this award-winning London business. A former investment analyst, Varun was inspired to become an entrepreneur following his own lockdown fitness journey when he lost 30% of his body fat in just four months with the help of a personal trainer in the gym.
Bhanot was struck by how old-fashioned and inaccessible personal training can be and began experimenting with a mixture of AI tracking software and hardware to design a revolutionary product that would give people access to 1:1 personal training in the safety of their home at a more affordable price.
The company began life with a Start Up Loan from Virgin StartUp in 2021 and Varun also enrolled on Virgin's free Empower 100 accelerator for underrepresented founders in Greater London in 2023.
Now MAGIC AI is one of the fastest growing connected fitness companies in the world and is currently stocked in Selfridges and Decathlon across the UK.
As well as selling its Magic AI wall mirrors, the company has expanded its range to include a range of fitness accessories.
The brand has also signed several celebrity athletes and sports stars to feature as holograms in the mirror, including former England Cricket captain Sir Alastair Cook, Strictly Come Dancing champion Katya Jones and England Rugby Star Celia Quansah.
MAGIC AI's early days were filled with challenges, from technical hurdles, to fundraising pressures, and the constant push to differentiate in a crowded market. However, Bhanot's belief in the product never wavered and his tenacity has led him to becoming a well-known face in the industry. In 2024 he was invited to become a TedX speaker. Since securing $5m of VC investment in November 2024, Varun has already scaled his team from 5 to 12 and is ready to take MAGIC AI to the next level in 2025.
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