Float Lab

What Float Lab does

Float Lab designs, manufactures, and operates isolation flotation chambers for commercial, government, and consumer use. Founded in 1999 in Venice Beach, California by Crash Hoefler—who later chaired the NSF Sensory Deprivation Task Group and served on the CDC's Model Aquatic Health Code Council—the company holds the world's only dual NSF 50 and UL 1795 certifications for commercial isolation flotation chambers. Its flagship product is a light-free, sound-resistant, stainless-steel chamber filled with body-temperature saline (1,000+ lbs of USP-grade Epsom salt) that enables sensory deprivation therapy. The system is supported by a patented non-halogen disinfection process combining hospital-grade UV and ozone, certified to a minimum 3-log kill (99.9%) of microorganisms per cycle, and a three-stage filtration system finalizing at 1 micron. Complementary offerings include cold plunges, saunas, compression tools, and an original podcast studio.

Float Lab operates a dual business model. The hardware segment manufactures and sells commercial-grade chambers to enterprise customers—including the Department of Defense (4,000+ sites, 500+ bases including SOCOM), corporate wellness programs (SpaceX, Google, Nike), luxury hospitality (Aman, Six Senses, Canyon Ranch, Equinox, Marriott Bonvoy), professional sports teams (Cowboys, Rangers, Mets), and universities (Stanford, UT, USC)—with a current west-coast production capacity of 1,050 tanks per year and a 30-day order-to-install timeline. The retail segment operates company-owned float centers generating $600k+ in annual revenue per location at a 40% EBITA margin through recurring monthly memberships and non-member session sales. Since founder Crash Hoefler's death in 2022, Co-Founder and CEO Bradley Hicks—a former US Navy SEAL, UNC Chapel Hill MBA, and RedBird Capital Partners alumnus—has led the company and is currently raising growth capital via a SAFE at a $10M valuation cap to fund inventory, team expansion, operations, and retail buildout, with a second east-coast factory planned for 2028 to expand production capacity by 2-3x.

Name

Float Lab

Legal name

Float Lab

Website

https://floatlab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Float Lab designs and manufactures the world's only NSF 50 and UL 1795 certified commercial isolation flotation chambers, selling units to defense, corporate wellness, hospitality, and sports clients while operating its own retail float centers under a membership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wellness Technology Equipment / Commercial Flotation Chambers

akta.pro primary industry

Float Therapy (Sensory Deprivation Tanks) (HSADAKAF)

Keywords

• Isolation flotation chambers
• Sensory deprivation tanks
• Wellness technology equipment
• Flotation therapy systems
• Commercial float tanks

Headquarters

HQ city

Venice

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Float Tank Manufacturing & Sales: Manufacturing and selling commercial-grade flotation tanks to enterprise customers including wellness facilities, hospitality, government, and corporate wellness programs. Tank production capacity of 1,050 units per year with west-coast facility, expanding to east-coast factory in 2028 to 2-3x capacity.
2. Retail Membership & Sessions: Company-owned retail float locations generating $600k+ annual revenue per location through monthly membership dues plus non-member session sales. Each location supports approximately 1,344 float hours per month.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Float Lab designs, manufactures, and sells commercial-grade isolation flotation chambers for enterprise customers in wellness, government, hospitality, sports, and education markets. The flagship Float Lab® chamber is the world's only NSF 50 and UL 1795 certified sensory deprivation tank, featuring a patented non-halogen disinfection system (UV + ozone) and three-stage filtration to 1 micron. The company also operates company-owned retail float locations generating $600k+ annual revenue per location through membership dues and non-member sessions.

Product overview

Float Lab offers a unified wellness technology platform centered on its NSF 50 and UL 1795 certified isolation flotation chambers (sensory deprivation tanks). The core product portfolio includes the flagship Float Lab® Isolation Flotation Chamber, supported by an integrated purification system combining multi-stage filtration (1 micron), UV disinfection, and ozone injection. The company positions its flotation chambers alongside complementary recovery tools—cold plunges, saunas, and compression tools—as a comprehensive nervous system recovery ecosystem. The chambers contain approximately 1,000 lbs of USP-grade Epsom salt in a body-temperature solution, creating a zero-gravity environment for flotation therapy. Float Lab also operates media initiatives including a podcast studio. All chambers feature self-cleaning capabilities with a full disinfection cycle running between every session.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Float Lab® Isolation Flotation Chamber The Float Lab® Isolation Flotation Chamber is the world's only NSF 50 and UL 1795 certified isolation flotation chamber for commercial use. The light-free, sound-resistant chamber contains body-temperature saline solution with over 1,000 lbs of USP-grade Epsom salt, eliminating gravity and enabling sensory deprivation therapy for stress reduction, physical recovery, and mental clarity. Each chamber measures 5 ft wide × 8 ft long × 7 ft high with a 3 ft × 5 ft easy-access door and commercial-grade stainless steel construction. The integrated patented non-halogen disinfection system (UV + ozone) achieves 99.9% microorganism elimination per cleaning cycle with a three-stage filtration system finalizing at 1 micron, providing chemical-free purification. Designed for enterprise customers in government, corporate wellness, hospitality, professional sports, and higher education markets, as well as retail float therapy operations.
• Float Lab Retail Float Therapy Sessions Float Lab operates company-owned retail float therapy locations delivering sensory deprivation therapy sessions to individual consumers. Each location generates $600k+ annual revenue through monthly membership dues and non-member session sales, supporting approximately 1,344 float hours per month with 40% EBITA margin. Sessions utilize the same NSF 50 and UL 1795 certified Float Lab® Isolation Flotation Chambers sold to enterprise customers, enabling chemical-free, 99.9% purified floating experiences for personal wellness, anxiety reduction, and recovery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% of participants report reduced anxiety symptoms; fMRI studies show significant reduction in amygdala activity
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Therabody: Therabody is a larger recovery-tech brand (Theragun, RecoveryAir compression, etc.) selling both to consumers and through professional sports and wellness facilities. Comparable to Float Lab as a premium recovery-equipment manufacturer serving overlapping enterprise customers (sports teams, luxury hospitality, corporate wellness) with adjacent modalities.
• Restore Hyper Wellness: Restore is a national chain of hyper wellness centers offering cryotherapy, IV therapy, infrared sauna, and float therapy across hundreds of locations. Comparable to Float Lab's retail operations as a multi-modality wellness service provider that also purchases and operates float tank equipment.

Emerging players

• Ice Barrel: Ice Barrel designs and sells upright cold plunge barrels marketed for at-home recovery, increasingly stocked by gyms and wellness centers. Comparable to Float Lab as a complementary recovery modality brand serving the same premium wellness consumer and emerging hospitality channel.
• Plunge: Plunge is a fast-growing direct-to-consumer manufacturer of cold plunge tubs, positioned as premium cold therapy for wellness enthusiasts and high-end hospitality. Comparable to Float Lab as a fellow premium recovery-equipment brand serving overlapping wellness customers and hospitality venues.

Direct peers

• Dreampod: Dreampod is a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential sensory deprivation float tanks, distributing globally to wellness facilities and individual buyers. Directly comparable to Float Lab as a head-to-head competitor in commercial-grade float tank manufacturing and enterprise wellness sales.
• Samadhi Tank: Samadhi Tank designs and builds isolation flotation tanks for commercial and home use, with comparable focus on chemical-free water treatment. Directly comparable to Float Lab as a competitor in the float therapy equipment category targeting similar wellness-center and residential customers.
• i-sopod: i-sopod is a UK-based manufacturer of premium isolation float tanks with global distribution. Directly comparable to Float Lab as a commercial-grade float chamber competitor serving the same enterprise wellness and premium hospitality customer base.
• Float Pod International: Float Pod International manufactures and distributes sensory deprivation float tanks globally, including commercial installations for wellness centers and resorts. Directly comparable to Float Lab as a competitor in float tank equipment manufacturing and global distribution.
• Zen Float Co: Zen Float Co designs and manufactures float tanks for both commercial facilities and home use, with comparable distribution through wellness venues. Directly comparable to Float Lab as a competitor targeting similar enterprise wellness and residential customers with commercial-grade float chambers.
• True REST Floats: True REST is the largest float therapy spa franchise in the US and also produces its own Evolution float tank line. Directly comparable to Float Lab because it competes in both float tank manufacturing and the consumer-facing retail float therapy experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/floatlab/?hl=en
• Xx.com/thefloatlab

Compliance3 records

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 Float Lab