Aug 24, 2017

August 24, 2017 9:01 AM Above: Lucid Performance Image Credit: Lucid Performance While physical fitness apps are plentiful, mental fitness can be more elusive. So Lucid Performance has created its Mental Fitness Platform to help people improve their focus under pressure. The company is unveiling the platform today as an extension of its iOS and Android Lucid app. The platform offers five-minute mental fitness workouts based on the training techniques of Lucid adviser George Mumford, a mindfulness and performance coach who has trained the likes of NBA stars Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. “It’s not about relaxation. It’s really about positive affirmation, how you manage the chaos in your life to get into the flow and the zone,” said Michael Howze, a partner at Eleven Ventures and an investor in Lucid Performance, in an interview with VentureBeat. “A lot of this came from a focus on sports performance.” Mumford worked on the Lucid tech with the company’s director of mental training, Graham Betchart. For the past decade, Betchart has worked privately with top athletes from the NFL, MLB, and NBA, including the league’s three consecutive No. 1 draft picks from 2014 through 2016. Besides the app, Lucid will offer long-form educational videos, books, and podcasts, as well as location-based clinics, conferences, and events. The apps have already been downloaded 65,000 times. Now Lucid will add a number of other major sports to the activities it supports. “Our vision is to create a large consumer brand around mindfulness and athletics,” Howze said. Above: Lucid Performance Image Credit: Lucid Performance “We’ve provided a true competitive advantage to Lucid users by helping them master the mental game, and we’re seeing amazing performance transformations,” said Jason Stirman, Lucid CEO and cofounder, in a statement. Focus is a mental skill that anyone can benefit from, Howze said. It helps you visualize yourself completing actions confidently. Since 2016, the company has also collaborated with 24 Hour Fitness to make mental training performance content and insights available to the latter’s nearly 4 million members across more than 400 clubs around the country. 24 Hour Fitness has featured Lucid’s approach to mental performance on its in-club 24Life TV network, with an invitation to the Lucid platform. Additionally, Lucid has appointed three new professional athletes to its advisory board: Skal Labissière of the Sacramento Kings, Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, and former USA volleyball team member Cynthia Barboza. Lucid’s investors include Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic, Eleven Ventures, True Ventures, and Obvious Ventures. Users can download the Lucid app for iOS or Android, and it’s free for a short trial period. Subscriptions are $10 a month. Lucid currently has 10 employees. The company said that the app has been growing users by about 35 percent per week and that 92 percent of users renew their subscriptions. VB Recommendations