Swim University

What Swim University does

Swim University, operated by Ace Media, LLC, is a bootstrapped, founder-owned education and software company that has served DIY pool and hot tub owners since 2006. The company is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, and operates with 1–10 employees under founder Matt Giovanisci, with no institutional funding, parent company, or M&A activity disclosed. Its core offering is the Pool Care by Swim University mobile app — a subscription-based chemical calculator and water-chemistry management tool launched in May 2024 on iOS and Android, priced at $49.99/year after a 7-day free trial. The app ingests user-entered water test results across chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid, and salt, and outputs personalized treatment plans with step-by-step chemical dosing based on pool volume and surface type (including saltwater, above-ground, and pebble-finish pools). Supporting the app are paid handbooks and video courses (Pool Care Handbook, Pool Care Video Course, Hot Tub Handbook, Hot Tub Video Course) sold as digital and physical editions, plus free top-of-funnel content including a blog (4.5M annual visitors), YouTube channel (330K subscribers), email list (195K subscribers), and two podcasts (Pool School, Hot Tubs 101). The mobile app was built and is maintained by Gazzini Ventures as a contracted development partner.

Revenue is generated through four streams: (i) recurring app subscription ($49.99/year), (ii) one-time digital course and handbook licenses, (iii) physical book sales with US free shipping, $10 Canada flat shipping, and $20 international flat shipping to 13 countries, and (iv) Amazon affiliate referral commissions. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the company's own e-commerce storefront, Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon Associates, with no channel intermediaries. Customer acquisition is product-led and organic: free educational content drives top-of-funnel discovery, a free cheat sheet serves as a lead magnet, and the 7-day app trial converts users into paid subscribers. The company has scaled to 400K+ app users and 82K direct customers served with no paid user acquisition disclosed. Across 2025–2026, the company shipped eight incremental app updates (Versions 4.8–5.4) adding weather-aware recommendations, treatment task checklists, chemical warning buffers, smart shock options, custom chemical ranges, and pebble-finish support, demonstrating active product investment despite the small headcount.

Name

Swim University

Legal name

Ace Media, LLC

Website

https://swimuniversity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swim University is a bootstrapped DIY pool and hot tub care education company, founded in 2006 and operated as Ace Media, LLC from Boulder, Colorado. It monetizes a content-driven audience of residential pool and hot tub owners via a $49.99/year mobile subscription app and digital/physical courses, serving 400K+ app users and 82K direct customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mobile App Subscription: Pool Care app charges $49.99 per year after a 7-day free trial. Subscription provides access to all app features including chemical calculator, treatment plans, and custom ranges.
2. Digital Courses and Handbooks: Sale of digital educational products including Pool Care Handbook, Pool Care Video Course, Hot Tub Handbook, and Hot Tub Video Course. Digital versions do not require shipping.
3. Physical Books: Sale of printed books shipped to customers in the US and internationally. Physical products with shipping fees.
4. Amazon Affiliate: Participant in Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, earning commissions when users click links and make purchases on Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Swim University is an educational content and product-led business that teaches DIY pool and hot tub care through free online articles, web calculators, two podcasts, a 330K-subscriber YouTube channel, and a 195K-subscriber email list. Its paid offerings include the Pool Care by Swim University mobile app—a $49.99/year subscription that functions as a chemical calculator generating personalized treatment plans from user-entered water test results—and digital/physical Pool Care and Hot Tub Handbooks and Video Courses.

Product overview

Swim University operates as an educational content company offering a portfolio of products centered on DIY pool and hot tub care instruction. The core product is the Pool Care by Swim University mobile app—a subscription-based chemical calculator that generates personalized treatment plans from water test results. Supporting the app is a suite of paid educational products including the Pool Care Handbook and Video Course, and the Hot Tub Handbook and Video Course, available in both digital and physical formats. The company also provides free educational content including articles, calculators, troubleshooting guides, and two podcasts (Pool School and Hot Tubs 101). The entire portfolio is unified by Swim University's brand positioning as the trusted source for pool and hot tub owners since 2006, with the YouTube channel (330K subscribers), email list (195K subscribers), and website (4.5M annual visitors) serving as distribution channels for the paid products and free content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pool Care by Swim University (Mobile App) A subscription-based mobile application that functions as a pool chemical calculator and water chemistry management tool. Users enter water test results and pool parameters; the app generates personalized treatment plans with step-by-step chemical dosing instructions and timing guidance. Handles chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid, and salt; supports saltwater pools, hot tubs, and pebble-finish pools. Offered as a 7-day free trial then $49.99/year.
• Pool Care Handbook Comprehensive guide covering all aspects of DIY pool maintenance including water chemistry, equipment, troubleshooting, and opening procedures. Sold in both digital download and physical book formats, with free US shipping and flat-rate international shipping.
• Pool Care Video Course Video-based educational course teaching pool water chemistry, maintenance routines, and problem-solving techniques through visual demonstrations. Sold as a one-time digital purchase granting perpetual access.
• Hot Tub Handbook Comprehensive guide covering hot tub water chemistry, maintenance, equipment care, troubleshooting, and winterization procedures. Sold in both digital download and physical book formats.
• Hot Tub Video Course Video-based educational course covering hot tub maintenance, water balance, and seasonal care through visual instruction. Sold as a one-time digital purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Chemical costs cut in half with proper dosing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gazzini VenturescoreTechnology or IntegrationDeveloper of the Pool Care by Swim University mobile application, handling technical development and distribution through app stores. Listed as the developer on Apple App Store with Gazzini Ventures, LLC as the seller entity.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Pentair: Global pool equipment and water treatment company that produces consumer education on pool care. Adjacent competitor for consumer attention and a likely strategic acquirer profile for Swim University.
• Hayward Pool Products: Leading pool equipment manufacturer that publishes pool-care educational content and how-to resources to support equipment sales. Adjacent to Swim University because it both competes for consumer pool education attention and represents a potential strategic acquirer.

Broad incumbents

• Bob Vila: Iconic DIY home improvement content brand monetizing through affiliate and product recommendations. Closely comparable to Swim University's content-led, education-first monetization model applied to the broader home space.
• This Old House: Long-running DIY home improvement media brand producing how-to content across trades. Comparable to Swim University as a content-to-product monetization model in the broader home services vertical.
• Family Handyman: DIY home improvement media brand producing how-to content, project guides, and product recommendations. Comparable to Swim University in content-led monetization targeting DIY homeowners.
• Pool Supply Unlimited: Direct-to-consumer pool supplies retailer with educational content on water chemistry and maintenance. A broader incumbent that combines chemical and equipment sales with DIY pool care guidance.
• InTheSwim: Large US pool supplies retailer producing extensive educational content, how-to guides, and calculators for DIY pool owners. Overlaps with Swim University on content/education while operating a much broader product commerce business.

Emerging players

• Orenda Technologies: Pool chemistry education and product company offering its own app-based calculator and treatment guidance. Competes directly with Swim University in the pool-care education and chemistry tool category.
• Dryden Aqua: Pool water treatment products and education company offering consumer guidance on chemistry and AFM filtration. Overlaps with Swim University on consumer-facing pool chemistry education.

Direct peers

• Trouble Free Pool: Long-running consumer pool-care community and creator of the PoolMath chemical calculator app, the closest direct competitor to Swim University's Pool Care app. Operates the same DIY pool chemistry niche with an education-plus-tool offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/swimuniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/swimuniversity
• Instagraminstagram.com/swimuniversity
• TikToktiktok.com/@swimuniversity
• Pinterestpinterest.com/swimuniversity
• Xx.com/swimuniversity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Swim University