Beyond the Arches #31: The Paris Summer Games captivate the world – and some gold medal fitness startups capture investor attention.

Featured Story

Everywhere you look, stories from the Summer Olympic Games in Paris are bringing people together. From the instant celebrity of “Pommel Horse Guy,” Stephen Nedoroscik clinching Bronze for men’s gymnastics to British diver Tom Daley’s knitting hobby, the Olympics always display the best of human achievement in sports and the personality of its competitors. 

The Paris games continue to thrive despite a rough start. Several high-profile issues have plagued the rollout of the games, from a coordinated sabotage of the railway system before the opening ceremony to a later telecom attack that took down vital communications, bad actors have made it difficult to keep people and information moving. Even the Seine itself has added to the difficulties. After considerable efforts to clean the river for swimming events (and a highly publicized campaign touting its safety), complications from rainwater and runoff have potentially sickened a member of the Belgian mixed triathlon team, leading to the team’s withdrawal, after the swimming section a few days earlier. 

Yet, in keeping with the Olympic spirit, the games carry on. At the time of this publication, China leads the gold medal count with 32 medals and the United States leads total medals with 105. Within these broad statistics, there are many individual stories of victory and perseverance. We look forward to more stories and memorable moments throughout the remainder of the games. 

How to invest in fitness- and wellness-based startups

Strong minds and strong bodies are the foundation of Olympic aspirations. But even if you’re not chasing gold as a representative of your home country, staying fit and healthy is still an important goal. We’ve found a few brands this week whose focus on wellness and physical fitness makes them attractive contenders for fitness-minded investment portfolios: 

• Kidokinetics: Play is a core component of child development and social-emotional learning. The exercise and lessons children gain through sports have life-long benefits. Kidokinetics’ sports enrichment programs offer a fun, playful environment for children 1-10 years old. Invest now through FranShares. 
• Viit Health: Metabolic health is one of the pillars of overall well-being and an important component in long-term health and fitness. Viit Health and its non-invasive biomarker device help users monitor important indicators. The technology uses highly advanced methods like near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), photoplethysmography, and quantum entanglement in concert with AI vision and a phone-based app to provide readings of oxygen, pulse, temperature, blood pressure, and blood glucose without a finger stick. Testing reports 93 percent accuracy. 
• Jacked Up Fitness: If going to the gym isn’t your thing, you can still get physically fit – in the comfort of your own home. The Jacked Up Fitness program features pro-grade, all-in-one fitness tools and equipment, combined with professional programming, to deliver a full gym experience. The direct-to-consumer brand specializes in high-quality fitness tools without the overhead and inconvenience of joining a traditional gym. 
• Alleviate: Managing chronic health issues often requires physical therapy, but access to these types of services is not universal. Alleviate seeks to democratize access to PT through its line of high-quality products (such as braces and massage tools) to address common physical ailments like plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, runner’s knee, and carpal tunnel syndrome, among others. With a combination of tools and in-app programming, Alleviate helps users perform PT exercises at home with confidence.  

On Our Radar This Week

• The world woke to fresh economic concerns today (Monday), with global stocks plunging and the Dow taking a 1,000-point drop on concerns of an impending economic recession in the U.S. The Fed declined to cut rates during its July 31st meeting, drawing scrutiny from analysts and investors. In the face of the global stock tumult, some are now calling on the body to take aggressive action and cut rates in order to stabilize the economy at home and abroad.
• Tensions mount in Venezuela as the country reacts to the dubious electoral victory of strongman Nicolás Maduro. Protests erupted in recent days in response to authoritarian candidate Maduro’s win, with several countries, including the United States, calling upon its right-leaning elections commission to release the electoral rolls without delay. 

Macro Bites

• In yet another blow to the Golden Arches, McDonald’s earnings and revenue miss estimates as consumer pullback worsens. The fast food icon has tried to lure back customers with $5 value meals and other promotions with mixed results.
• Bitcoin briefly approached $70K last week before falling back into the $53,000 range. The spike came after former President Donald Trump discussed the future of the cryptocurrency during a headline speech at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville.
• In a breakthrough, the FDA approved a blood test for colorectal cancer, providing a huge benefit of biopsy-free screening for one of the most common cancers. Although not as accurate as other screenings, it offers an alternative to those unable or unwilling to undergo more invasive procedures. 

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