WayBetter

What WayBetter does

WayBetter, Inc. is a Delaware-incorporated, fully remote behavior change platform founded in 2010 (originally as DietBet) and headquartered in New York. The company operates a freemium mobile and web application in which players commit to health goals (weight loss, physical activity, smoking cessation, nutrition, mindset, and GLP-1 medication support) backed by financial deposit contracts, peer accountability through a #goalfriends social community, referee-mediated photo/video verification, and integrations with fitness trackers (Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Health, Google Fit, Runkeeper). Branded sub-products include DietBet, StepBet, and QuitBet; a GLP-1 Companion App module was launched in 2024 to support users on GLP-1 therapies.

The platform is built on three monetization streams: (1) auto-renewing WayBetter Membership subscriptions priced on monthly, quarterly, and annual cadences with a 7-day free trial; (2) transactional game participation fees that form prize pools (modal StepBet deposit of $40 over 6 weeks; QuitBet $30 over 28 days); and (3) Points redemption handling fees ($5 under $50, $30 wire for unsupported regions) and sponsored-game revenue from meal delivery, fitness, wellness, and GLP-1 pharmaceutical sponsors. The go-to-market combines product-led growth through self-serve app stores with a community-led viral loop (over 1 million players joined through organic social mechanics) and an emerging enterprise B2B sales motion targeting employers, insurers, healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical companies for GLP-1 adherence and outcomes programs.

WayBetter maintains proprietary technical assets including the WayBED dataset and an open-sourced on-device BMI estimation deep learning model (7.9% MAPE), and applies ML to churn prediction (F1 = 0.87 at day 7) and behavioral phenotyping. Scientific credibility is supported by NIH SBIR funding (~$1M in 2019) and multiple peer-reviewed publications validating the deposit-contract mechanism, most recently culminating in the 2025 Society of Behavioral Medicine Digital Health Tech Madness Champion Award. The company employs ~50 people and reports 1.4M cumulative players and 14.7M collective pounds lost across its history.

Name

WayBetter

Legal name

WayBetter, Inc.

Website

https://waybetter.app

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WayBetter is a gamified behavior change platform serving over 1.4 million individual players with deposit-contract health games (DietBet, StepBet, QuitBet) and a GLP-1 companion app, increasingly distributed via B2B partnerships with employers, insurers, healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Health and Wellness Behavior Change Platform

NAICS

Gambling Industries (7132), Other Gambling Industries (713290)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

iGaming Platform Providers (Turnkey/Casino & Sportsbook Platforms) (MPAEAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Payouts & Disbursements (Withdrawals, RTP, Mass Payouts) (MPAEALAG), Diabetes & Blood Sugar Nutrition Coaching (HSADAFAF)

Keywords

• Gamified health behavior change
• Weight loss games
• Deposit contract challenges
• Social fitness apps
• Smoking cessation platform

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Auto-renewing subscription service with quarterly and annual options. Users receive access to games and features. Commencement occurs upon sign-up or after free trial ends. Subscription continues until cancelled.
2. Game Participation Fees: Players pay upfront investment fees to participate in games. These fees form the prize pool that winners split. Fees may vary by game and can be paid via PayPal, credit card, or winnings from other games.
3. Points Redemption: Players earn Points for winning games, redeemable at $1 per Point via PayPal. WayBetter earns a handling fee ($5) on redemptions under $50 and $30 for wire transfers in unsupported regions.
4. Sponsored Games Revenue: Third-party sponsors (meal delivery services, fitness products, wellness brands, GLP-1 pharmaceutical companies) fund or co-support games. Entry into Sponsored Games requires consent to share name, email, and game outcome with the sponsor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WayBetter operates a gamified behavior change platform where players join social games with deposit contracts to achieve health goals such as weight loss (DietBet), physical activity (StepBet), and smoking cessation (QuitBet). Players commit money upfront and earn it back by meeting verified goals, supported by a social community of #goalfriends and integrations with fitness trackers. The company sells a recurring membership subscription for platform access plus transaction-based game entry fees.

Product overview

WayBetter is a behavior change platform operating as a single unified app with multiple branded game products. The core platform provides gamification, social support, and accountability features, while specialized sub-products address specific health goals: DietBet for weight loss, StepBet for physical activity, and QuitBet for smoking cessation. The platform also offers a GLP-1 Companion App module for users on weight management medications. All games use deposit contract mechanics where players commit money upfront and earn it back by meeting verified goals. The WayBetter Way™ methodology underpins all products, integrating psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics. The company operates on a membership subscription model with games requiring optional or mandatory financial investments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WayBetter Core Platform (Games) A behavior change platform that uses social games with financial deposit contracts to help individual users achieve health goals including weight loss, exercise, better nutrition, mindset, and smoking cessation. Targets health-motivated adult consumers; players commit money and earn it back by meeting verified goals.
• DietBet Social gaming weight loss program in which players wager money and earn it back by meeting weight loss goals verified through photos. Designed for adults seeking to lose weight through financial incentives and community accountability.
• StepBet Gamified deposit contract challenge for physical activity in which players commit a deposit (modal $40) and earn it back by hitting daily and weekly step goals synced from fitness trackers over a 6-week challenge period. Targets individuals seeking to increase daily activity.
• QuitBet Digital social game for smoking cessation using a $30 deposit contract over 28 days, with abstinence verified via a Bluetooth-enabled breath carbon monoxide monitor and video-based identity verification. Developed for individuals seeking to quit smoking.
• GLP-1 Companion App Specialized module within WayBetter designed to support people using GLP-1 weight management medications, promoting muscle retention, better eating habits, and positivity through gamification. Used by individuals and offered through B2B partnerships to employers, insurers, healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical companies as a companion or off-ramp program.
• WayBetter Membership Paid auto-renewing subscription providing access to WayBetter games and platform features, with monthly, quarterly, and annual options and a 7-day free trial for new users. Sold directly to individual consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 31.2% average increase in daily step counts (2,423 additional steps) among StepBet participants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration8 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Western University (Dr. Marc Mitchell)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership studying engagement patterns among WayBetter users. Preliminary results presented at 2025 SBM conference. Research aims to inform development of new features to improve engagement and effectiveness.
• Academic Research PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWayBetter partners with universities worldwide to advance behavior change science. Scientists leverage platform data to explore behavior change predictors and techniques. The company offers academic researchers ability to design and run studies on the platform.
• FitbitsupportingTechnology or IntegrationFitness tracker integration allowing users to sync step count and activity data with WayBetter games for automatic verification of physical activity goals.
• GarminsupportingTechnology or IntegrationFitness tracker integration allowing users to sync activity data with WayBetter games for goal verification.
• Apple HealthsupportingTechnology or IntegrationHealth data platform integration for iOS users to sync activity and health metrics with WayBetter games.
• Google FitsupportingTechnology or IntegrationHealth data platform integration for Android users to sync activity and health metrics with WayBetter games.
• RunkeepersupportingTechnology or IntegrationRunning and fitness app integration allowing activity tracking data to sync with WayBetter running games.
• PayPalsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner for game investments, membership subscriptions, and points redemption. Uses PayPal security for fraud prevention and requires players to have PayPal accounts matching their WayBetter accounts for cash redemptions.
• Healthcare ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWayBetter partners with healthcare providers to support GLP-1 therapy populations. The app serves as an off-ramp program to minimize weight regain after treatment ends.
• GLP-1 Pharmaceutical CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWayBetter positions itself as a partner for pharmaceutical companies developing new GLP-1 drugs. The app helps minimize side effects, reduce dropout rates, and boost efficacy of cutting-edge treatments.
• Employers and InsurerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWayBetter offers enterprise partnerships to help employers and insurers boost outcomes for GLP-1 therapies among their populations. The app enhances adherence, engagement, and outcomes.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• stickK: stickK pioneered commitment contracts (deposit contracts) for behavior change across fitness, diet, and other goals. WayBetter's deposit contract mechanic is a direct descendant of stickK's behavioral economics framework, and the two target overlapping consumer use cases.
• HealthyWage: HealthyWage operates a directly comparable deposit-contract weight loss challenge platform where users wager money and earn it back by meeting verified weight loss goals. It is the closest head-to-head competitor to WayBetter's DietBet product.

Broad incumbents

• Noom: Noom is a large, well-funded digital weight management and behavior change platform using psychology-based coaching. It competes with WayBetter for the same GLP-1 and weight loss consumer base but at significantly greater scale and with a broader coaching-led product surface.
• WW (Weight Watchers): WW is an established incumbent in the weight management category and now also partners with pharma on GLP-1 companion services. It competes with WayBetter for weight loss consumers and increasingly for employer/insurer wellness distribution.
• MyFitnessPal: MyFitnessPal is a large incumbent in calorie tracking and food logging with deep consumer brand recognition. It overlaps with WayBetter in nutrition and weight management but lacks deposit-contract gamification mechanics.

Emerging players

• BetterMe: BetterMe is a gamified wellness app offering weight loss, fasting, and workout programs with subscription-based coaching. It overlaps with WayBetter in gamified consumer wellness and targets similar weight loss and habit change use cases.
• Found: Found is a digital weight care program combining clinician-prescribed medication (including GLP-1s) with behavior change support. It is a partial competitor in the GLP-1 companion space where WayBetter is positioning its companion app, particularly for employer/payer contracts.
• Ro: Ro operates a digital health platform with a strong GLP-1 weight loss program and employer/payer distribution. It overlaps with WayBetter on the B2B GLP-1 companion side, though Ro is broader in scope and significantly better funded.
• Calibrate: Calibrate is a clinician-supervised metabolic health program incorporating GLP-1 medications with behavior change coaching. It competes with WayBetter in the GLP-1 + behavior change category and sells through employer/payer channels.

Others

• Charity Miles: Charity Miles gamifies physical activity by converting steps into charitable donations, sharing the activity-based gamification and fitness tracker integration DNA with WayBetter's StepBet. It is an adjacent enabling/thematic peer rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheWayBetterWay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waybetter

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors6 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 WayBetter