New York-based lifestyle robotics company Aescape has announced it has raised US$83 million (€76.5 million, £64.3 million) in a strategic round led by Valor Equity Partners, an early investor in Tesla and SpaceX.

The round also saw participation from existing investors, including Alumni Ventures and NBA Champion and All-Star Kevin Love.

With this latest investment, Aescape’s total funding now stands at US$128 million (€118 million, £99.1 million), enabling the company to scale operations, expand into new markets and grow its partnerships with global brands.

Aescape and Equinox: Bringing AI recovery to 60 locations

Built by alumni from Amazon, Apple, Tonal, Uber, MakerBot and more, Aescape claimed to be the first commercially available automated massage experience when it launched with premium health club brand Equinox at select NYC locations last year.

Following strong demand and high engagement, Equinox is expanding the partnership to 60 locations nationwide.

"Aescape immediately resonated with our members, offering a private, effective and highly personalised massage experience – on their time," said James Gu, senior director of spa at Equinox.

"This partnership reflects our commitment to having the most advanced recovery solutions available and we’re excited to bring it to more locations across the country."

Entering new markets and strengthening leadershipSince debuting with Equinox, Aescape has announced partnerships with industry leaders in hospitality, corporate wellness, luxury real estate and professional sports — including select Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton properties throughout North America.

To support this next phase, Aescape has added five sales leads and appointed Kimberly Miller as chief marketing officer.

Miller brings over 20 years of experience in scaling high-growth organisations, previously serving as global CMO of Native Instruments and The Economist Group.

“Our first six months in the market focused on launching with strategic partners and introducing fully autonomous robotic massage to consumers, driving both high utilisation and repeat usage rates,” said Aescape founder and CEO Eric Litman.

“With fresh capital, we’re doubling down on these goals, catapulting growth for both our business and our partners as we expand into hospitality, professional sports, fitness and mainstream markets.”

Stay tuned for the next issue of Spa Business for an in-depth look at the equipment hitting the market as AI and robotic massage technology gain traction in spas globally.