The UnderBelly

What The UnderBelly does

The UnderBelly is a Durham, North Carolina-based wellness company that operates a direct-to-consumer subscription yoga and meditation streaming platform. Founded in 2018 by Jessamyn Stanley and Mary Carr, the service delivers on-demand video classes, guided meditations, breathwork, and 365 daily affirmations, organized into themed collections spanning beginner to advanced levels and use cases such as mental health, low back pain, stress, digestion, tarot-themed flows, and body-positive practice. The target audience is body-positive individuals, particularly fat, queer, and Black people who feel excluded from mainstream yoga, alongside yoga practitioners seeking inclusive instruction.

The product is delivered via a Vimeo-powered streaming platform, with native applications across iOS, Android, and at least seven TV platforms (Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Tizen, LG, Vizio) plus a web client and a separate merchandise storefront. The business model is a self-serve subscription at $19.99 per month or $180 per year, with a 7-day free trial and cancel-anytime terms. The go-to-market motion is product-led and community-led: acquisition is driven primarily by co-founder Jessamyn Stanley's personal Instagram following and by earned media in publications including Forbes, Vogue, The New York Times, Allure, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Marie Claire, ESPN, CNN, and Out Magazine.

The company operates with 1–10 employees, is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding or funding rounds, and derives essentially all revenue from consumer subscriptions and merchandise. There is no B2B or enterprise motion, no API or platform extensibility, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. Strategic priorities evident in the public footprint are multi-platform reach, content catalog breadth, and brand-driven organic acquisition rather than scale hiring or external capital deployment.

Name

The UnderBelly

Legal name

The Underbelly

Website

https://theunderbelly.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The UnderBelly is a Durham, NC-based wellness brand offering a direct-to-consumer subscription yoga and meditation streaming platform ($19.99/month or $180/year) for body-positive individuals excluded from mainstream yoga, with native apps across mobile and major TV platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Yoga / Wellness Streaming

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Meditation Apps, Digital Courses & Online Communities (HSADAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private 1:1 Yoga/Pilates & Small-Group Sessions (HSADACAI), Power Yoga & Athletic Yoga Conditioning (HSADACAG), Yoga & Meditation Experiences (Studio Classes, Guided Meditation, Mindfulness) (THAJAHAA)

Keywords

• Online yoga classes
• Yoga streaming platform
• Wellness subscription
• Body positive yoga
• Meditation streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Monthly and annual subscription fees providing unlimited access to all yoga classes, meditations, and content collections. Recurring revenue model with self-serve cancellation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels11 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The UnderBelly is a subscription-based, on-demand yoga and wellness streaming platform delivering body-positive, inclusive instruction across web, mobile, and TV apps. Subscribers get unlimited access to a curated library of yoga classes, guided meditations, breathwork, and free daily affirmations, organized by level, time of day, body area, and themed collections (tarot yoga, mental health, digestion, etc.). A separate merchandise storefront sells branded yoga props and apparel.

Product overview

The UnderBelly is an inclusive, affirming yoga streaming platform offering on-demand video classes for all bodies and experience levels. The core product is a subscription-based streaming service ($19.99/month or $180/year with 7-day free trial) accessible via mobile apps (iOS, Android), TV apps (Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Vizio TV, Xbox), and web browser. The platform's content library includes dozens of specialized class collections organized by experience level (Beginner 63 items, Intermediate 68 items, Advanced 29 items), time of day (Morning 17 items, Night 16 items), focus areas (Mental Health 24 items, Stress 26 items, Low Back Pain 18 items, Shoulder Pain 20 items, Digestion, Flexibility), and unique themes (Tarot Yoga 44 cards, Belly Love, Love & Sex 22 items, Cozy Yoga, Family-Friendly 15 items). Additional offerings include Free Daily Affirmations (365 items), Meditation (36 items), and guest instructor series. The platform is powered by Vimeo for video delivery and was founded by Jessamyn Stanley and Mary Carr in Durham, NC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The UnderBelly Yoga Platform A subscription-based, on-demand yoga and wellness streaming service delivering inclusive, body-positive yoga classes, guided meditations, and breathwork to individual consumers via web, iOS, Android, and smart TV apps. Subscribers pay $19.99/month or $180/year after a 7-day free trial and receive unlimited access to themed class collections.
• Free Daily Affirmations A free, standalone email-signup offering of 365 daily affirmations delivered as audio to help subscribers stay grounded and self-affirming; available without a paid yoga subscription.
• UB Merch Store Direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at shop.theunderbelly.com selling yoga gear, props, mats, apparel, and branded accessories to consumers.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VimeocoreTechnology or IntegrationVimeo provides the underlying video streaming infrastructure powering The Underbelly's platform (browse.theunderbelly.com), enabling delivery of on-demand yoga content across web and app platforms.
• Yoga HustleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended partner for yoga props and accessories. The Underbelly directs subscribers to Yoga Hustle for additional yoga gear options.
• Feetup TrainerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended inversion bench for subscribers interested in inversion yoga. The Underbelly FAQ suggests Feetup Trainer as an accessibility tool.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Headspace: Subscription mindfulness and wellness app offering guided meditation, yoga, and sleep content. Headspace targets the same inclusive wellness consumer with a stronger employer/B2B channel and significantly larger marketing budget.
• Peloton: Connected fitness platform with a digital-only app tier that includes yoga, meditation, and strength classes. Peloton competes for the same at-home yoga subscriber and has launched inclusive and body-positive content series.
• Insight Timer: Free and freemium meditation, yoga, and mindfulness app with a large community of teachers and content. Overlaps with The UnderBelly's meditation and yoga offerings, particularly for free-tier and community-led users.
• Calm: Subscription meditation, sleep, and wellness app with a broad content library including yoga and breathwork. Larger and well-capitalized, Calm competes for the same consumer wellness subscription dollar and has expanded into adjacent body-positive content.

Direct peers

• Glo: Subscription streaming platform offering on-demand yoga, Pilates, and meditation classes across web, mobile, and TV. Glo is the closest direct competitor in digital yoga subscription content delivery and instructor-led video catalog.
• Alo Moves: Subscription yoga, fitness, and mindfulness streaming service from Alo Yoga, with an extensive instructor-led class library across web and mobile apps. Comparable in product format, pricing model, and direct-to-consumer motion.
• Yoga Studio by Gaiam (FitForLife): Subscription yoga and fitness app offering HD video classes for all levels, including meditation. A comparable digital yoga instruction platform with a similar structured class-library and instructor-led format.
• Down Dog: Procedurally generated yoga, HIIT, and barre apps at low subscription price points. Competes for price-sensitive yoga subscribers and emphasizes accessibility and personalization, overlapping with The UnderBelly's beginner and modification focus.
• CorePower Yoga On Demand: Digital streaming extension of CorePower Yoga studios, offering on-demand yoga classes. Comparable in yoga-focused digital subscription content and instructor-led video library targeting a similar wellness consumer.
• Gaia: Subscription streaming service for yoga, meditation, and conscious living content. Gaia is a comparable niche spiritual/yoga streaming platform with similar thematically organized class collections and a community-oriented brand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/intent/tweet?url=https://browse.theunderbelly.com
• Facebookfacebook.com/theunderbellyyoga
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-underbelly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 The UnderBelly