80403Virtual Experiences AppClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKAs a result of COVID-19 the UK enforced strict lockdown and social distancing measures. Overnight countless industries and people's lives were affected, including the fitness industry and the way we exercise. With gyms forced to close and mass participation sporting events such as the London Marathon cancelled, many people searched for alternative ways to stay fit and healthy. Added to this, as the link between poor health and COVID-19 has become apparent (with those obese having a 33% greater risk of dying from COVID-19 (BBC\_2020)), the nation has become acutely aware of importance of good health in relation to COVID-19\. This is exemplified with the UK Government urging the nation must 'get match fit to fight the disease' (Sir Oliver Dowden) and over ¾ of the UK population taking up at least one form of new exercise since lockdown began (NuffieldHealth\_2020). As a result, the Interactive Fitness Market is booming. Even before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, Technavio reported an expected growth of £4.2bn during 2020-2024 for the Interactive Fitness Market and COVID-19 has only served to accelerate this. For example, the Health and Fitness app category witnessed 47% growth in Q2 2020 (DeveloperTech\_2020); and Virtual Events have seen an extraordinary 70% uplift (RunSignUp\_2020). What's more, this new wave of fitness looks here to stay. There is currently public unease about returning to mass fitness such as gyms, with reports suggesting 68% of people would now rather continue to exercise from home (Statista\_2020); and the Government has stressed that any reopening of mass fitness outlets is both conditional and reversible. It's therefore unlikely that such an industry will return to business as usual any time soon. Project lead Let's Do This (LDT) have seen first hand the potential of the Interactive Fitness Market. Having previously gained world class VC funding from the likes of Y Combinator, NFX and EQT, they have already built the UK's leading online marketplace for challenge events and experienced exceptional YOY growth. However C-19 and the ensuing cancellation of 1000s of challenge events then saw bookings on their site plummet and revenue quickly decline. LDT have pivoted by building a prototype for a free Virtual Experiences App, allowing small groups of people to come together virtually and motivate each other to reach their fitness goals through a diverse range of challenges. The app is currently in the early stages of development with a small user group. Yet with high retention rate amongst these users, there is strong indication that the app can be a viable alternative to gym memberships, in person mass participation events and expensive existing on-demand fitness. LDT plans to build on this foundational platform, leveraging the powers of group network effects and machine learning recommendations trained on health data, to offer both personalised fitness experiences and group participation to radically transform people's fitness and health. Ultimately, LDT aims to support as many people as possible in leading active lifestyles in both a COVID-19 and post COVID-19 era.