EarlyBird Health Files for IPO: Revolutionizing Self-Guided Fitness Management with Smart Health Pods

“On average, every 30 seconds, one person is diagnosed with diabetes, and at least one person dies from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.” In an era of concerning health statistics, the integration of medicine and physical exercise is a crucial pathway to achieving the “Healthy China” initiative. Fitness, as a key measure to improve suboptimal health conditions among residents and prevent disease, has long been prioritized on the national agenda.

The “13th Five-Year Plan for Sports Development,” released in May 2016, set forth the following goals to be achieved by 2020: per capita sports venue area would reach 1.8 square meters; the number of people regularly engaging in physical exercise would rise to 435 million; and the total scale of the sports industry would exceed RMB 3 trillion. Although gyms, driven by policy support, have proliferated across China with their number reaching more than 37,000, the “2016–2017 White Paper on China’s Fitness Industry” published by Qingcheng Technology pointed out that the penetration rate of the fitness population in China was only 0.79%, far lower than the 17.82% recorded in the United States.

ZaoNiao Health focuses on creating shared fitness centers that are closely integrated with medical services and centered around community settings. Its smart health pods enable self-service, 24/7 operations. Furthermore, these pods are optimized with “Internet Plus” technologies to facilitate IoT data collection, thereby achieving end-to-end health management. This ensures users have a high-quality fitness environment regardless of rain or smog, thereby enhancing the overall fitness atmosphere within communities.

“When I returned from abroad, I saw many patients with diabetes who were controlling their blood sugar levels by taking metformin or injecting insulin, which deeply moved me,” said John Deng, founder of Early Bird Health, in an interview with VCBeat. “We wanted to do something for them to improve these poor health conditions.”

Driven by this vision, John Deng and several other co-founders established Early Bird Health. In the company’s early stages, including during its angel funding round, although some investors expressed interest in participating, they were ultimately declined. John Deng and his partners self-funded the company’s operations for two years.

However, establishing shared fitness centers is perceived by most people as costly. In fact, in addition to fitness equipment, Zao Niao Health’s smart health pods are equipped with IoT devices and a comprehensive heating and cooling system. Like other container-style gyms in China, Zao Niao Health also faces the challenges of a long payback period and constrained growth. The capital winter last year left the team in a slump, but a new turning point has emerged: Alibaba has chosen to support Zao Niao Health.

Traditional gyms typically charge around RMB 1,000–2,000 for an annual membership, yet individuals who frequently work late overtime end up visiting the gym only a handful of times per year. In contrast, Zao Niao Health’s Smart Health Pod introduces a new consumption scenario based in communities, offering users significant convenience. The Smart Health Pod operates on a pay-per-use model with affordable pricing: for just RMB 19 per session, users can exercise inside the pod for an unlimited duration. According to John Deng, the monthly revenue of a Smart Health Pod can reach RMB 5,000–7,000, allowing the initial investment to be recouped in approximately six months.

First, users enter the fitness center and then engage in self-managed exercise. This is the core value of ZaoNiao Health’s Smart Health Pod. Reporters learned that the Smart Health Pod by ZaoNiao Health covers an area of approximately 18 square meters.²approximately, with a maximum of 36 m², accommodating a diverse range of aerobic and anaerobic fitness equipment to provide users with more options. The cabin is also equipped with a comprehensive heating and cooling system, a fresh air ventilation system, and oxygen enrichment devices, creating a more comfortable fitness environment for users.

Furthermore, the smart health pod incorporates “Internet Plus” optimization, leveraging IoT data collection to enable end-to-end health management. Users begin by providing basic information and connecting with the mobile app, which tracks their exercise records. Based on each user’s physical condition, the system recommends free or paid courses—such as general weight-loss programs or specialized modules for diabetes and other chronic diseases. Through regular monitoring of exercise data, the platform identifies and delivers the most suitable exercise regimen for each user.

Regarding the site selection for smart health pods, the Early Bird Health team conducted over a year of market research, which revealed an approximately 50% user acceptance rate for container-style gyms. Through leasing or partnership models, Early Bird Health ultimately secured locations for five offline health pods in Chengdu, situated within large residential communities comprising more than 1,000 households. Mr. Deng stated that future smart health pods will also be deployed in larger communities near city centers, with around 3,000 to 5,000 households, aiming to provide fitness and self-managed exercise services for chronic disease management to more users in need.

 Early Bird Health Pod (Image provided by the interviewee)

Prior to founding Early Bird Health, John Deng and other core founding team members worked in the internet and telecommunications industries. Some team members have years of experience in big data collection and IoT devices at ZTE and Huawei. The company’s technical team not only establishes digital health records and provides big data-driven health management for clients, but also offers end-to-end technical support for offline store management.

The team has also invested in a sports company, Fengdong Sports, which employs 22 nationally certified fitness coaches to support self-managed exercise programs within the Smart Health Pod, thereby effectively integrating exercise with medicine.

In addition, a strategic partner of Early Bird Health serves as a consultant to a U.S. medical company, introducing overseas cutting-edge concepts, principles, and resources related to behavior change. The company has also integrated the full expert resources of the Sichuan Provincial Health Manager Association to ensure the safety of users’ dietary and exercise regimens.

The company is currently undergoing a new round of financing.