Seven months ago, Miami-based Betterness was building an AI-powered health coach that could help people manage their wellness routines. Now, the startup wants to take that concept beyond the smartphone and into the neighborhoods where people actually live, work and exercise.
Betterness has secured an additional $1 million in seed financing, bringing its total seed round to $3.5 million. The funding comes as the company prepares to launch its first neighborhood wellness network at Miami Worldcenter on November 15, bringing together more than 30 local businesses through a new initiative called Worldcenter Perks.
The extension was led by a private investment group with pharmaceutical expertise, alongside investors with backgrounds in AI, venture capital, healthcare, and blockchain.
When Refresh Miami last covered Betterness in April, the company had raised $2.5 million and was positioning itself as an AI-powered platform connecting consumers, healthcare providers, gyms and wellness brands. At the center was Bett-i, an AI life coach designed to draw on data from wearables, lab results and other sources to help users make better health decisions.
Since then, Betterness has moved its business customers from beta testing into daily operations. According to the company, locations using its Betterness One platform now process an average of $500,000 annually in member bookings.
“The front line of health and wellness is the small business that opens its doors every day,” co-founder and co-CEO Demian Bellumio said in a statement. “We ran Betterness in beta with exceptional Miami businesses that trusted us to go deep inside their operations and rethink how they run from the ground up.”
Now, Betterness is taking that model into the neighborhoods themselves. Miami Worldcenter offers a sizable testing ground. The sprawling Downtown Miami development is planned to accommodate up to 40,000 residents in and around it at full build-out, while its weekly Night Market draws more than 60 vendors.
Through Worldcenter Perks, users can join a dedicated neighborhood community within the free Betterness app, explore offers from participating businesses and stay connected with them. Early partners include Wynwood Padel Club, offering members 20% off court bookings, and SWEAT440, participating through its Brickell and Midtown studios.
The concept builds on a wellness event Betterness hosted at Flow in Miami Worldcenter about 18 months ago, where attendees connected with local instructors and brands. The founders wanted those relationships to continue long after the event ended.
For businesses, Betterness One provides tools to manage everything from memberships and class bookings to payments and customer relationships. Its free Grow product lets businesses create a digital presence and offer perks, while Host handles daily operations. A coaching product, currently in beta, allows trainers to develop personalized programs with AI assistance, while an upcoming commerce feature will enable businesses to sell products directly through the app.
“A studio or clinic can run its entire operation on Betterness One,” co-founder and co-CEO Ari Katz said in the press release. “Its members decide what to share, under strict data controls, and the business uses that to personalize classes, programs and offers in a way traditional wellness business software never could.”
Meanwhile, the consumer-facing app continues to expand. Users can track more than 70 sports, connect devices from Garmin, Oura and Withings, log meals through photos and order lab tests through Quest Diagnostics and BioReference. Bett-i uses that information to provide guidance and build personalized training programs.
Betterness also plans to add telemedicine consultations, prescription fulfillment through licensed pharmacies and supplements.
Betterness has attracted a group of investors with strong ties to Miami’s technology and business communities. Previously identified backers and advisors include Securitize co-founder and CEO Carlos Domingo, Borderless Capital managing partner David Garcia, entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky, hospitality entrepreneur Alan Faena, and Miami DJ BLOND:ISH.
The company will formally showcase its neighborhood network on November 15 at the Miami Worldcenter Wellness Series: Feeling ALIVE, an event that has already attracted more than 600 registrations. Miami Beach is next on its expansion roadmap.
For Bellumio, Miami is serving as the testing ground for a model he hopes can eventually work in communities elsewhere.
“I believe Miami is already showing the world how wellness can be part of everyday life,” he said. “My dream is for other communities to build on what we learn here and help their own residents live healthier, more connected lives.”
Pictured at the top of this post: Betterness app screenshots, from left to right, show a Betterness home screen where users can see how they slept, check their steps, or start tracking a run, a ride, a strength session or yoga, for example, and also see health lab results. The next three screens show what Betterness calls Spaces: A coach, a gym and even a neighborhood can each have a Space in Betterness.
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