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Kevin Hart’s venture capital firm has made its biggest health-tech bet yet. Hartbeat Ventures, the investment arm of the comedian and entrepreneur, led a $35 million Series B round for Simple, an AI-powered health coaching app that helps people lose weight and is now aiming to expand into broader wellness.
Simple was founded in 2019 by Mike Prytkov, who previously built and sold the adtech company Appness. The app has grown steadily, reaching about 700,000 paying subscribers and generating $160 million in annual recurring revenue. Its signature feature, introduced in 2023, is an AI health coach named Avo that gives users personalized advice based on their progress.
Hartbeat joins liquidity in Simple funding
With the funding, Prytkov said the company plans to expand its GLP-1 companion tools, which support people using new weight-loss drugs, and to introduce specialized programs in women’s health and midlife care. “Our vision is to become the Duolingo of health,” Prytkov said. “The goal is simple—become the go-to health companion people use daily to build lasting habits.”
The round also included participation from the private credit firm Liquidity. Prytkov recalled that Hartbeat Ventures approached him soon after the launch of Avo, when the startup wasn’t actively looking for investors. “At the time, we weren’t raising, but Hartbeat Ventures felt like an amazing fit, so we agreed,” he said. To date, Simple has raised $45 million.
The app faces tough competition from Noom, WeightWatchers, and MyFitnessPal, which dominate the behavioral dieting and health-tracking market. But Hart’s involvement signals growing confidence in Simple’s potential.
Ventures span productions, tequila, media network
For Hart, the deal adds another chapter to his business portfolio. Best known as one of the world’s top-earning comedians—he brought in $108 million last year—Hart has steadily built a reputation as a businessman.
His ventures include Hartbeat Productions, the tequila brand Gran Coramino, and the Laugh Out Loud Network. Earlier this year, Gran Coramino announced another round of $10,000 grants through The Coramino Fund, which has invested $1.5 million so far to support entrepreneurs in underserved communities across the U.S. and Mexico.
Kevin Hart ventures toward billionaire status
Hart’s business empire has fueled speculation that he could reach billionaire status by 2028. A major boost came in 2022, when private equity firm Abry Partners invested $100 million for a 15 percent stake in his media company valuing Hartbeat at more than $650 million.
With Hartbeat Ventures now backing Simple, both Hart and Prytkov are betting on a future where health coaching apps can become as essential as language-learning tools.
