Kevin Hart Backs $35 Million Bet on AI-Driven Weight Loss Startup Simple

Inside how data science, behavioral design, and celebrity capital are transforming the future of digital health coaching

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When comedian and investor Kevin Hart steps into a new venture, attention follows. His firm, HartBeat Ventures, has now led a $35 million Series B funding round for the AI-powered weight loss platform Simple, a move that underscores the growing overlap between artificial intelligence and personal wellness technology.

The investment—originally reported by TechCrunch’s startup funding desk—signals a larger cultural shift: celebrity-backed venture capital is beginning to steer how millions approach health and habit formation.

The Human Story Behind the Algorithm

Simple’s founder, Mike Prytkov, didn’t emerge from Silicon Valley’s health-tech elite. In interviews, he recalls the pressures of running an ad-tech startup and the toll that stress took on his physical health. Traditional fitness regimens—counting calories, rigid fasting schedules, and brutal workouts—proved unsustainable. “Consistency was the hard part,” Prytkov told reporters. The company’s origin story began as an attempt to solve that very problem: how to sustain change after motivation fades.

In 2019, Simple began building a data infrastructure to translate daily habits into adaptive coaching. By 2023, they had launched Avo, an AI coach that uses conversational prompts to guide users through meal logging and behavioral nudges. According to TechCrunch’s funding report, Avo processes over 300,000 meal logs per day and conducts 100,000 active coaching sessions daily.

That level of user engagement translates to real traction: Simple reportedly generates $160 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) and serves 700,000 paying subscribers worldwide. Vestbee’s investment coverage notes that Simple’s total funding now stands at over $45 million, placing it among Europe’s most capitalized digital health startups.

Celebrity Capital and the Wellness Economy

While many see Hart’s involvement as a publicity boost, celebrity venture capital is becoming a structural force in tech. HartBeat Ventures has previously backed brands at the intersection of entertainment, fitness, and tech.

In this case, the partnership lends not only name recognition but also strategic amplification—introducing Simple to millions of new potential users who already associate Hart with lifestyle transformation and discipline.

The endorsement also fits within a wider industry arc: wellness startups that harness AI to personalize user journeys are outperforming generic fitness apps. According to PitchBook’s sector data, the global digital wellness market now exceeds $390 billion, with a projected compound annual growth rate above 20% through 2030.

From left to right: Mike Prytkov,Simple Co-Founder CMO and Alex Ilinskiy CEO Co-Founder

What Simple Plans Next

According to TechNews180’s funding recap, Simple’s roadmap for the new capital centers on three fronts:

• Enhanced AI personalization – refining Avo’s machine learning to better reflect user mood, environment, and time-of-day patterns.

• Gamified engagement systems – introducing “Blinky,” a rewards-based framework that tracks streaks and milestones.

• International expansion – scaling operations across Europe and Latin America, where wellness apps are growing fastest.

Simple’s workforce now spans 180 employees across 27 countries, underscoring its ambitions to become a global health-data company rather than just a weight-loss app.

Risks and Growing Pains

Every fast-growing app faces friction. Some users on Reddit’s intermittent fasting forums have complained about billing and refund delays. And while internal data show promising engagement rates, academic validation remains scarce—few peer-reviewed studies yet confirm the long-term effectiveness of AI-based health coaching.

That said, the potential market is immense. Analysts from McKinsey’s health and wellness division estimate global spending on personal health could surpass $1.5 trillion by 2027, driven largely by consumers seeking digital-first, adaptive wellness solutions.

The Bigger Picture

Kevin Hart’s bet on Simple is about more than fitness—it’s about habit science as a service. In a landscape where attention and adherence are scarce, startups that understand behavior, not just biology, may define the next phase of health technology.

Behavioral economist Richard Thaler, who won the Nobel Prize for his work on decision-making, once said:

“If you want people to do something, make it easy.”

That principle may be Simple’s core strength: not demanding transformation, but guiding it one micro-decision at a time.

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