Where are they now? Magic AI

When Startups Magazine last spoke to MAGIC AI in 2023, the company was still in the midst of fundraising. Fast forward to today, and the London-based fitness technology company has grown into one of the UK’s fastest expanding consumer startups, raising fresh capital, expanding internationally, and cementing its position in the personal training market.

Founder and CEO, Varun Bhanot, describes the transformation: “Our latest $5 million round in November 2024, led by IW Capital alongside Ventures Together, SFC Capital, and Baleen Capital, has been transformative. With that backing, we’ve expanded our proprietary ReflectAI database to more than 845 exercises, grown into a 20+ strong team, and scaled to 24,000 users across 40 countries. We’ve also hit a $10 million revenue run rate as of now, and today MAGIC AI owns more than 99% of the UK AI personal training market.”

EXPANDING WORKOUTS AND AUDIENCES

When MAGIC AI started, it had a focus on AI-powered strength training with the genius idea of using a mirror as a tool to enable training. Since then, it has broadened into new workout categories.

“Back in 2023, we talked about expanding beyond strength training into yoga, dance, boxing, and Pilates. Since then, we’ve launched yoga and dance and the response has been fantastic,” says Bhanot.

Users have embraced this variety and what’s more, it caters to both families and individual needs. Parents have reported that their children enjoy the dance sessions, while others use yoga to recover after injury.

“The feedback has shown us that expanding into new modalities like yoga and dance has made MAGIC AI even more inclusive, flexible, and engaging which is exactly what we set out to do,” Bhanot adds.

Speaking of being engaging and inclusive, meditation is on the roadmap, and demand is already strong for accessible wellness tools.

MAKING PERSONAL TRAINING AFFORDABLE

Accessibility has always been central to MAGIC AI’s offering. Traditional personal training can often cost £50–£100 an hour, but the company set out to offer a more affordable alternative.

“Notably, around 50% of our customers choose Klarna as their preferred way to pay. Affordability has always been central to our mission,” Bhanot explains.

By offering unlimited household training for £42 per month with 0% financing, MAGIC AI has created what he calls “a genuinely disruptive model” that saves customers thousands each year and allows up to five accounts per household.

This pricing strategy has not only widened access to the product, but it has also become a key driver of growth, helping MAGIC AI reach tens of thousands of users across 40 countries.

BUILDING ENGAGEMENT AND LOYALTY

According to Bhanot: “Over 24,000 users across 40 countries have completed more than 58,000 hours of training on MAGIC AI, clear proof that personal training can now be delivered at scale through AI.”

Users typically complete three sessions a week, which feeds into ReflectAI’s growing dataset, with reviewers highlighting affordability and variety, and more than 1,000 five-star ratings on TrustPilot and MAGIC AI’s website.

GROWING THROUGH MEDIA EXPOSURE

Another growth driver has been the ensuing media coverage, with early features in The Times, BBC News, and ITV’s Lorraine Kelly, which introduced MAGIC AI to mass audiences, while recognition from Time Magazine and other outlets validated its product.

“In 2021, AI wasn’t yet mainstream in consumer products, and many people were understandably sceptical about trusting a machine to replace a personal trainer. We overcame that through endorsements from high-profile athletes and strong media partnerships that validated the product,” said Bhanot.

He notes that this visibility has had a ripple effect:

“It energised our team, strengthened our reputation with consumers, and attracted high-profile angel investors from companies like Spotify, Stripe, TikTok, and Citigroup, creating valuable networks and mentorship opportunities.”

STAYING LEAN WHILE SCALING

While scaling often requires large teams, MAGIC AI has remained deliberately lean.

Bhanot credits multi-skilled staff such as Chief Marketing Officer Nick Kane and Head of Engineering Chirag Patel, who progressed from software engineer to leading ReflectAI development in just two years. Patel’s work was even featured in a TEDx Talk.

Ambassadors also play a role in building loyalty. Endorsements from figures such as England cricket legend Sir Alastair Cook, footballer Jesse Lingard, Olympic sprinter Desirèe Henry, and Strictly Come Dancing’s Katya Jones have added credibility and broadened appeal.

“Their involvement excites their followers, many of whom overlap directly with our target demographic, and brings specialist expertise into the product,” Bhanot says.

LISTENING TO CUSTOMERS

Much of MAGIC AI’s roadmap is influenced by feedback.

“Our product and engineering team, marketing team, and customer service team all work directly around customer feedback,” Bhanot explains. The company maintains active support channels, including social media groups, customer hotlines, and a dedicated success team.

This direct line to what the customer is saying has shaped the company’s updates and content, while reinforcing retention. As Bhanot points out:

“Our reputation is built on more than just the hardware, it’s the strength of the ongoing support we provide. Every user receives continuous guidance, troubleshooting, and programme adjustments after purchase, so it’s never a one-off transaction.

“That kind of trajectory sums up our culture: entrepreneurial, fast-moving, and built on people who can wear multiple hats as we scale,” says Bhanot.

LESSONS IN RESILIENCE

The company’s journey has also involved persistence.

“We were turned down by 148 investors, it was the 149th and 150th who finally said yes. That taught me that persistence really does pay off,” Bhanot said.

Reflecting on what lessons can be taken from his journey, Bhanot reflects that traction is important:

“The more evidence you can show of product-market fit and momentum, even in the shortest amount of time, the harder it is for investors to say no.”

HEALTH AT ITS CORE

For Bhanot, one of the most important aspects of MAGIC AI is its role in public health, such as users with health conditions who could no longer attend gyms but found the Mirror to be an effective solution.

“What surprised me most is how quickly this connects to bigger conversations around the NHS and preventative healthcare. Inactivity and obesity-related conditions cost the NHS tens of billions each year, and yet something as simple as making exercise accessible at home can play a real role in reducing that strain,” he says.

LOOKING AHEAD

The next milestone is expansion into the US market, which Bhanot estimates could be five times the size of the UK.

“Looking ahead, our big goals are to expand the MAGIC AI team to 20+ people and to scale into the US market, which we see as a huge opportunity.”

Longer-term, acquisition is also on the table:

“You could imagine companies like Peloton wanting to branch out, or the big tech players e.g., Apple, Google, Amazon, who are all doubling down on health and wellness. Even wearable brands like Whoop or Garmin could see value in combining our ReflectAI technology with their performance data.”

For now, MAGIC AI continues to grow its base, refine its technology, and position itself for the next stage. As Bhanot sums up:

“We’re not only building a product, but contributing to something much larger: inclusion, prevention, and empowering people to live healthier lives.”

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2025 issue of Startups Magazine. Click here to subscribe