What Cityrow Go does

Cityrow Go (operating under the brand CITYROW) is a connected fitness company founded in 2013 by Helaine Knapp and headquartered in New York. The company sells proprietary water-resistance rowing machines — the CITYROW GO Classic and CITYROW GO Max — manufactured through a co-branded partnership with WaterRower and priced at $1,599 per unit. These machines integrate with the CITYROW companion application, which provides real-time performance tracking, program-based training, and a library of more than 2,000 on-demand and live workouts spanning rowing, yoga, strength, and endurance. The app is available globally on iOS and Android app stores and is accessible via a 14-day free trial that converts into a recurring subscription. The platform also supports third-party hardware, notably Concept2 rowing machines equipped with PM5 monitors, expanding the addressable user base beyond first-party machine owners.

The company's underlying technology stack centers on connected fitness hardware-to-app telemetry for metrics capture (stroke rate, distance, pace), a content delivery system for streaming live and on-demand classes led by a named instructor team, and standard consumer fitness tracking features such as goal monitoring, personal records, badges, and challenges. CITYROW differentiates through multi-machine interoperability, content breadth across both on- and off-rower modalities, and a "Just Row" custom workout feature that allows users to configure their own intervals while continuing to track performance. There is no evidence of proprietary AI/ML capabilities; intelligence is delivered through human-led instruction rather than algorithmic personalization.

Cityrow Go operates a dual revenue model combining hardware sales (one-time purchases of CITYROW GO machines) with recurring app subscriptions (monthly or annual access to the full content library and live classes). Go-to-market is product-led and direct-to-consumer: customers download the app via app stores or purchase hardware through the company website, with no retail intermediary. The company has raised approximately $12.51 million across disclosed funding rounds from 2013 to 2021, with the most recent $12 million round led by JW Asset Management in July 2021. Named customer evidence consists of individual consumer testimonials rather than enterprise accounts, consistent with a long-tail consumer base.

Name

Cityrow Go

Website

https://go.cityrow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cityrow Go is a New York-based connected fitness company selling proprietary water-resistance rowing machines (CITYROW GO Classic and Max) paired with a companion app offering 2000+ on-demand and live rowing, yoga, strength, and endurance workouts. The platform serves individual home fitness consumers globally via direct-to-consumer hardware sales and app subscriptions, and also supports Concept2 PM5 rowers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of proprietary rowing machines (CITYROW GO Classic and Max) that feature water resistance and connect to the CITYROW app for an integrated home fitness experience.
2. App Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription to the CITYROW app providing access to 2000+ workouts, live classes, real-time performance tracking, programs, and challenges. Offers a free 14-day trial.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CityRow Go sells connected rowing-based home fitness through proprietary water-resistance rowing machines (CITYROW GO Classic and CITYROW GO Max) paired with the CITYROW subscription app. The app delivers 2000+ on-demand and live instructor-led workouts including rowing, yoga, strength, and endurance, with real-time performance tracking, custom Just Row sessions, and compatibility with WaterRower and Concept2 PM5 rowing machines.

Product overview

Cityrow Go offers a connected fitness ecosystem consisting of hardware rowing machines (CITYROW GO Classic and CITYROW GO Max) paired with the CITYROW software application. The water resistance rowing machines deliver studio-quality workouts at home, while the companion app provides access to 2000+ on-demand and live classes across rowing, yoga, strength, and endurance disciplines. Users can track performance metrics in real time, follow instructor-led programs, and use the Just Row feature for custom workouts. The platform scales workouts for all fitness levels and is also compatible with third-party rowing equipment like Concept2 rowers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CITYROW GO Classic: Rowing machine model bringing the studio workout experience into homes, featuring water resistance and app connectivity for live and on-demand classes.
• CITYROW GO Max

Products and services

• CITYROW GO Classic A water-resistance rowing machine that brings the studio workout experience into the home and connects to the CITYROW app for live and on-demand classes with real-time performance tracking. Designed for individual consumers seeking a low-impact, full-body cardio workout at home.
• CITYROW GO Max A water-resistance rowing machine offering the full studio workout experience at home with integrated CITYROW app connectivity for streaming live and on-demand fitness classes. Designed for individual consumers seeking premium at-home rowing workouts.
• CITYROW App A fitness subscription application offering 2000+ on-demand and live workouts across rowing, yoga, strength, and endurance disciplines, with real-time performance tracking, goal monitoring, sequenced programs, gamified badges and challenges, and the Just Row custom workout feature. Compatible with CityRow machines as well as WaterRower and Concept2 PM5 rowing machines. Aimed at individual consumers looking for guided, studio-quality at-home rowing and cross-training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Classes suitable for all fitness levels from beginner to advanced

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WaterRowercoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWaterRower manufactures the WaterRower A1 CityRow Connect rowing machine, a water-resistance rowing machine sold under the CityRow brand. This is a co-branded product where WaterRower produces hardware that integrates with the CITYROW app.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Echelon Fitness: Echelon offers connected fitness equipment (bikes, rowers, treadmills) with a subscription content app at lower price points than Peloton or Hydrow. It is an emerging player with comparable connected rowing products (Echelon Row) that competes with CITYROW on price and accessibility.
• Tonal: Tonal is a connected strength-training platform with subscription content. While focused on strength rather than rowing, Tonal competes with CITYROW in the connected home fitness subscription category and for the same premium home fitness consumer wallet share.

Direct peers

• Hydrow: Hydrow is a direct competitor offering connected rowing machines with a content subscription featuring live and on-demand rowing workouts. It targets the same home fitness consumer with a similar hardware-plus-subscription model, but with significantly more capital raised and a stronger celebrity-instructor-driven brand.
• Ergatta: Ergatta is a direct competitor in connected rowing with a gamified, metric-driven workout experience. It competes with CITYROW for the same home rowing enthusiast segment using its own proprietary hardware bundled with a content subscription.
• Aviron: Aviron is a direct competitor offering connected rowing machines with interactive gamified workouts and content. It competes head-to-head with CITYROW in the connected home rowing category with a similar hardware-plus-subscription approach.

Broad incumbents

• Peloton: Peloton is a broad incumbent in connected fitness offering bikes, treadmills, and a content subscription app. While primarily known for cycling and running, Peloton's app includes rowing content and competes for the same home fitness subscription dollar as CITYROW, with far greater scale and brand recognition.
• iFIT: iFIT (parent of NordicTrack, ProForm, and others) is a broad incumbent in connected home fitness with a content subscription powering multiple equipment types including rowers. It competes with CITYROW for the home rowing and fitness content consumer with a much larger content library and equipment ecosystem.
• Apple Fitness+: Apple Fitness+ is a broad connected fitness content subscription integrated into the Apple ecosystem, offering rowing workouts among many other modalities. While not a hardware maker, it competes with CITYROW's app subscription for the home fitness content dollar with the backing of Apple's distribution and pricing power.

Others

• WaterRower: WaterRower is CITYROW's OEM hardware partner, manufacturing the CITYROW GO Classic and Max rowing machines. While not a direct software competitor, WaterRower sells its own branded rowers and competes indirectly with CITYROW hardware sales, and its brand strength affects CITYROW's hardware go-to-market.
• Concept2: Concept2 is the dominant manufacturer of indoor rowing machines used by competitive rowers and home fitness enthusiasts. Concept2's PM5 monitor is compatible with the CITYROW app, making Concept2 a complementary ecosystem partner rather than competitor — but Concept2's strong brand in the rowing community shapes CITYROW's addressable user base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cityrow
• Instagraminstagram.com/cityrow
• Xx.com/cityrow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cityrow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cityrow Go