Press Releases

$700,000 First Round Financing Supports New Data-Driven Weight Loss Company

SKOKIE, Ill. - (November 15, 2011) - RETROFIT, LLC, the company dedicated to long-term weight loss, announced today it has closed an initial $700,000 round of financing. The capital will enable the company to expand its operations nationwide on November 28, Cyber Monday.

RETROFIT provides a new approach to weight loss that is designed to deliver lasting results. The company combines the power of wireless client tracking with the expertise of a multi-disciplinary expert team in an innovative year-long program. Each client is assigned their own registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, and behavior coach to help clients lose 10 or 15% of their body weight and then achieve sustained weight stability before graduating from the program.

"Commercial weight loss programs have focused on delivering short-term results, because people think that is what they want," James Hill, PhD, Director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado. "Without a focus on permanent supported behavior change, there will be no significant impact on the burden of excess weight in our nation."

Participating individual investors include Larry Levy, Chairman of Levy Restaurants, Brian Jacobs, General Partner of Emergence Capital Partners, Renee LaBran, Partner of Rustic Canyon Fontis Partners and Matt Moog, CEO of Viewpoints.com

"RETROFIT takes a high tech approach to delivering proven best practices in weight loss," said Jeff Hyman, CEO of RETROFIT. "Wireless monitoring of daily weight, activity and even sleep quality, gives our clients and expert teams the reliable data needed to drive lifelong behavior change."

RETROFIT's advisory board is made up of some of the nation's most prominent weight loss experts and hands on clinicians. The board includes:

• Robert Kushner, MD, Clinical Director of the Northwestern Comprehensive Center on Obesity and Past President of The Obesity Society
• James O. Hill, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at University of Colorado and Past President of The Obesity Society
• Holly Wyatt, MD, Medical Director at the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado
• Brad Saks PsyD, Co-owner of the North Shore Center for Weight Management and faculty member of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
• Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, CSSD a registered dietitian, nutrition advisor to the Chicago Cubs, and author of "The Flexitarian Diet"
• Melissa Paolino, MS, lead exercise physiologist for Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Center for Partnership Medicine

"RETROFIT is challenging the premise of short term weight loss, using high tech tools and high touch teams to drive long term sustainable outcomes," said Larry Levy, chairman of Levy Restaurants and a managing partner at Levy Family Partners, a founding investor in RETROFIT. "The entire nation has a role to play in addressing the issue of persistent weight gain. We are proud to help private enterprise do its part for the collective health of the country."

Other participating investors in RETROFIT include:

• Jai Shekhawat, CEO, Fieldglass
• Christopher Ainsley, CEO, Shoppertrak
• Ancelmo Lopes, CEO, Ameritox
• Rick Inatome, CEO, InfiLaw
• James Roberts, CEO, Chamberlain Group
• Matt Gray, President, G Bar
• Matt DiMaria, SVP, Rovi
• David Rosenblatt, Vice Chairman, Arava Power