My name is Will Duru, and for the last ten years, I’ve been a personal trainer. Every single day, I’ve seen people walk into the gym with the best intentions in the world, only to leave feeling frustrated and defeated. They lack a plan, they don’t know how to use the equipment, and they’re not seeing results. That’s why I built 12reps.
12reps is a mobile app that puts a world-class personal trainer in your pocket, for a fraction of the cost. We use AI to create truly personalised strength training programs that are designed by certified trainers, like me, to help you build muscle, get stronger, and improve your long-term health. The fitness app market is crowded with generic, one-size-fits-all solutions. We are different. We make serious, effective strength training simple and accessible for everyone.
We are here today to ask for a seed round investment to help us scale our user acquisition, expand our development team, and solidify our position as the leading platform for strength training. We are not just building an app; we are building the future of fitness.
The Problem: The Untapped Potential in Every Gym
I want you to picture someone I call the “Wandering Gym-Goer.” You’ve seen them. They walk into the gym, look around at all the complicated machines, maybe do a few bicep curls, walk on the treadmill for a bit, and then leave. They are trying. They are showing up. But they don’t have a plan. This is the reality for millions of people. They are investing their time and money into their health, but they are getting almost nothing in return. This leads to frustration, a feeling of failure, and eventually, they just give up.
This is a huge problem, but it’s also a huge opportunity. The global fitness app market is a multi-billion dollar industry, projected to be worth over $12 billion in 2025. [1] But it is filled with apps that are all the same. They offer generic workout videos or simple tracking tools that don’t actually help people get results. There is a massive gap in the market for a solution that is intelligent, personalised, and effective.
And the timing for this could not be better. We are at a unique moment where several powerful trends are coming together. First, the world has woken up to the importance of strength training. It is no longer just for bodybuilders. It is now widely recognised by doctors and scientists as one of the most important things you can do for your health and longevity, especially as you get older. [2] Second, AI has reached a point where it can deliver true personalisation at a massive scale. And third, people are looking for authenticity. They are tired of faceless corporations. They want to connect with real experts who they can trust. As a trainer with over a decade of experience and a genuine passion for helping people, I am that expert.
Our Solution: 12reps - Intelligent Strength Training, Simplified
So, how do we solve this problem? We built 12reps from the ground up to be the solution I always wished I could give my clients. It is built on three core features that make it unlike any other app on the market.
First, we have AI-Powered Personalisation. When you first open the app, it asks you a few simple questions: What are your goals? What equipment do you have access to, whether at home or in a commercial gym? What is your current fitness level? Based on your answers, our AI instantly generates a complete, progressive workout plan that is tailored specifically to you. It’s not a random collection of exercises; it’s a structured program designed to get you results.
Second, we have an Expert-Backed Exercise Library. I personally filmed and wrote the instructions for over 1,500 exercises. Each one comes with a high-quality video demonstration and clear, simple cues to ensure you are performing the movement with perfect form. This is crucial for preventing injury and getting the most out of every single rep.
Third, we have Seamless Progress Tracking. The app makes it incredibly easy to log your sets, reps, and the weights you lift. It then turns that data into simple, beautiful graphs that show you exactly how much stronger you are getting over time. This is the secret to staying motivated. When you can see your progress, you want to keep going.
But our real “secret sauce” is our authenticity. I am not a Silicon Valley tech bro who just saw a market opportunity. I am a trainer who has been in the trenches with real people, helping them overcome these exact struggles for years. We are not targeting teenagers who want to look good on TikTok. We are targeting a motivated and underserved demographic—people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who are serious about their long-term health. We are giving them the expertise of a personal trainer, which would normally cost hundreds of pounds a month, for just £9.99 a month.
Traction: The Proof is in the Progress
This isn’t just an idea. We have built the product, we have launched it, and the response has been incredible. I didn’t just identify the problem; I lived it with my clients, and then I built the solution myself. And it is working.
In just a few short months, with a tiny marketing budget, we have already achieved over 2,500 downloads. More importantly, we are converting those downloads into loyal, paying customers. We have almost 1,000 active subscriptions, which has already started to generate real revenue. This proves that people are not just willing to try our app; they are willing to pay for it because they see its value and everything is organic
Our users are not just downloading the app and forgetting about it. They are using it. Our engagement metrics show that a significant percentage of our users are completing at least three workouts per week. They are following the plans, they are tracking their progress, and they are getting stronger. Our user retention is strong, and our App Store ratings are consistently high, with glowing reviews from people who tell us that 12reps has finally given them the confidence and the plan they needed to succeed.
This early traction is the most important signal we have. It shows that we have found a real pain point and that our solution is resonating with our target audience. We have achieved product-market fit. Now, we are ready to scale.
The Ask & The Vision: Building the Global Standard
We are seeking a seed investment to pour fuel on this fire. We want to use this funding to achieve three key goals.
First, User Acquisition. We will scale our marketing efforts to reach a wider audience. We know who our customer is, and we know how to reach them. We will invest in paid social media, collaborations with other trusted fitness influencers, and content marketing to establish 12reps as the go-to resource for strength training.
Second, Product Development. We will expand our small engineering team to make our app even better. We want to enhance our AI capabilities, integrate with popular wearables like the Apple Watch, and build out more community features to connect our users with each other.
Third, Operations. We will hire a few key people to help us manage our growth and provide world-class support to our customers.
Our vision is not just to be another fitness app. Our vision is to become the global standard for strength training. In 24 months, we aim to be the leading app for strength training in the UK and the US, with over 10-20,000 paying subscribers. In 5 years, we plan to expand globally, integrate with connected fitness hardware, and build a comprehensive health platform that also includes nutrition and recovery coaching.
Investing in 12reps is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a company that is solving a real problem in a massive, growing market. You are investing in a proven founder with deep domain expertise and a passion for the mission. You are investing in a scalable technology platform that is already showing incredible traction. And you are investing in a company with a clear path to profitability, based on a simple and proven subscription model.
Thank you for your time. I am ready to answer any questions you may have.
References
- [1] Grand View Research. (2024). Fitness App Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/fitness-app-market
- [2] Westcott, W. L. (2012). Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health. Current sports medicine reports, 11(4), 209-216. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2012/07000/resistance_training_is_medicine__effects_of.11.aspx
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