A virtual fitness startup is pitching restaurants and hotels as core partners in a cycling-driven travel ecosystem. EscapeSquid, developed by Xanh Entertainment Inc., is seeking a $2.5 million seed round to build a platform that moves participants from at-home stationary bike sessions through fitness studios, local dining and attraction experiences, and ultimately into destination travel packages.
The Hospitality Angle
For operators, the model is designed to generate incremental demand from an active-travel demographic. Hotels, restaurants, attractions, and tour operators would join the platform as destination partners, appearing within the EscapeSquid ecosystem as participants progress from virtual rides toward real-world events. The company frames this as a distribution channel for local businesses, not just a fitness app — a distinction that matters for properties looking to capture wellness travelers who typically have higher-than-average spending profiles.
Fitness studios are the first commercial link in the chain: they can list classes and host branded events. Hospitality and food-and-beverage operators come into play at the regional and destination layers, where EscapeSquid plans to stage kickoff dinners and fitness evening events in select cities. Initial markets include Nashville, Portland, Anaheim, Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York City, with event details expected later in 2026.
What the Funding Would Build
"Our goal is to bring people together while supporting the local businesses that make each destination unique," said John Phung, Founder and CEO of Xanh Entertainment Inc. "We want our events to create new opportunities for local fitness studios, restaurants, hotels, attractions and other businesses."
If the round closes, the capital is earmarked for technology expansion, fitness and studio partnership growth, hospitality and travel network development, and the inaugural city events. The company describes the intended progression as: virtual participation → studio classes → local experiences → regional events → destination travel — a funnel that places restaurants and hotels at the highest-engagement, highest-spend end of the customer journey.
The concept taps into a documented shift in consumer travel priorities toward experience-led itineraries. Active and wellness travel has attracted growing platform investment, and operators who build early supply-side relationships with aggregators in this space have historically captured preferential placement as those platforms scale. For restaurant and hospitality operators tracking emerging demand channels, EscapeSquid represents a category worth monitoring: fitness-anchored destination platforms that embed food and lodging partners directly into the participant experience.
The seed round has not yet closed, and the company notes that planned markets, events, and partnership structures remain subject to change. Operators interested in the platform's hospitality network can reach the company through its website. For broader context on wellness travel's impact on foodservice and lodging, Food & Beverage Magazine and our own hospitality industry analysis have both tracked how active-traveler segments are reshaping F&B programming at independent and branded properties alike.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
