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According to the World Health Organization, around 43% of adults worldwide are overweight, and the number continues to rise. Physical inactivity is among the leading causes of preventable health problems. The AI startup KinesteX takes a data-driven approach to help people move better and stay healthy through intelligent motion tracking. Founded in late 2021 by Nikita Starov together with his co-founders, KinesteX, a health startup that uses AI motion tracking and personalized feedback to make training safer and more effective. The company offers its technology as a white-label SDK for wellness and fitness platforms around the world. The idea came during the pandemic, when Starov noticed millions of people stuck at home with back pain and little physical activity. “If computer vision can recognize a face,” he thought, “why not teach it to recognize human movement and provide real-time feedback?” That insight led to the prototype: an AI-powered fitness coach that could analyze movements through a smartphone camera. The technology worked, but the market wasn’t ready. After testing three business models and hearing dozens of investor rejections, the team realized their technology could have a much broader impact. The breakthrough came when two early clients asked if KinesteX could integrate the technology into their own apps. That question changed everything. Instead of competing with other fitness apps, KinesteX became the technology behind them. The team rebuilt the product as a white-label SDK, allowing wellness platforms to add AI motion tracking without developing the technology from scratch. Today, KinesteX partners with leading digital health and fitness companies, helping them integrate AI-powered personal trainers into their ecosystems. The solution processes all data locally on user devices, ensuring full privacy. It helps users perform exercises correctly and provides feedback on posture, repetitions, calorie burn, and injury prevention. The pivot paid off. The company has raised over $1 million from 13 investors, including several angel investors and one family office. Starov says the fundraising process was long and exhausting. The team held about 300 to 400 meetings before securing commitments. “At first, all the rejections felt discouraging,” he recalls. “But we realized it’s just a numbers game. Out of hundreds of conversations, a few people truly believe in your vision.” Those investors were not just betting on the technology. They believed in a team that stayed flexible and persistent, even after multiple pivots. For Starov, the biggest lesson wasn’t about fundraising but about understanding value. “You need to know who you’re building for, what problem you’re solving, and why it matters. We spent two years building something cool that didn’t solve a real problem. If I could start over, I’d begin with that question.” Today, KinesteX continues to grow as a trusted technology partner for fitness, corporate wellness, and health tech platforms. The mission remains simple: to make movement smarter, safer, and more accessible for everyone. For aspiring founders, Starov’s advice is straightforward: “Focus on solving real problems. Build something people truly need. Everything else will follow.”
