Top 73 Lifestyle Startups to Watch in 2026
The lifestyle sector includes a diverse group of startups that impact daily consumer habits. For example, media company Vox Media has secured $407.6M in funding, while travel brand Away has raised $181M.
This global field features companies from India like audio brand boAt to the UK's fitness apparel retailer Gymshark. The full list highlights 73 businesses in areas from wellness and e-commerce to AI.
Below is our list of 73 Lifestyle startups worth keeping an eye on.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
Away offers a range of thoughtfully designed suitcases, bags, and travel accessories. They built a strong direct-to-consumer brand by focusing on durable, stylish luggage with features that address common travel frustrations.
| Headquarters | New York, New York, United States |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Jen Rubio, Steph Korey Goodwin |
| Funding Amount | $181M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | Accel, Wellington Management, Forerunner, Battery Ventures, BAM Ventures |
Sunrise created a virtual sleep clinic that uses a proprietary 3-gram sensor to diagnose sleep issues from home. Their system delivers gold-standard quality diagnostics, offering a simpler alternative to traditional sleep lab studies.
| Headquarters | Brussels, Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Belgium |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Laurent Martinot, Pierre Martinot |
| Funding Amount | $49.5M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Seventure Partners, Kurma Partners, European Innovation Council, Amazon Alexa Fund, Eurazeo |
Playbook created a platform that allows fitness creators and athletes to launch their own subscription-based mobile apps. Their tools help talent in the fitness industry monetize content and engage directly with their audience.
| Headquarters | New York, New York, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Jeff Krahel, Kasper Odegaard, Mike Radoor |
| Funding Amount | $19.3M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Headline, Abstract, FJ Labs, Everywhere Ventures, UpHonest Capital |
Replika builds a personal AI companion designed to learn from users and engage in supportive conversations. Their chatbot provides a virtual friend who is always available to listen, chat, and share experiences.
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Eugenia Kuyda |
| Funding Amount | $10.9M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Khosla Ventures, Y Combinator, ACME Capital, Ludlow Ventures, Zillionize |
boAt develops a wide array of audio-focused electronics, from wireless earbuds and headphones to portable speakers. The brand has built a following by offering stylish, lifestyle-oriented wearables at an accessible price point.
| Headquarters | Gurgaon, Haryana, India |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Aman Gupta, Sameer Mehta |
| Funding Amount | $177M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Undisclosed |
| Top Investors | Warburg Pincus, Fireside Ventures, Navi Technologies, InnoVen Capital, Qualcomm Ventures |
Gymshark designs and sells a popular line of fitness apparel and accessories directly to consumers online. They have grown into a major global brand by cultivating a strong community of athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
| Headquarters | Solihull, Solihull, United Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Ben Francis, Lewis Morgan |
| Funding Amount | £200M |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | General Atlantic |
Vox Media owns and operates a suite of modern media brands, including the tech publication The Verge and the food network Eater. They support these digital properties with original podcast and video production, as well as a proprietary publishing platform.
| Headquarters | Washington, District of Columbia, United States |
| Year Founded | 2003 |
| Founders | Jerome Armstrong, Tyler Bleszinski |
| Funding Amount | $407.6M |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Corporate Round |
| Top Investors | Accel, Khosla Ventures, General Atlantic, SV Angel, Penske Media Corporation |
Pepperfry runs an online marketplace that sells a wide selection of furniture and home merchandise. They provide a one-stop shopping destination for customers seeking to furnish and decorate their homes.
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | Ambareesh Murty, Ashish Shah |
| Funding Amount | $310.4M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Norwest Venture Partners, Goldman Sachs, State Street Global Advisors, InnoVen Capital, Panthera Growth Partners |
Vagaro builds an all-in-one software platform for businesses in the beauty, wellness, and fitness industries. Their platform gives business owners tools to manage everything from booking to payments, while also connecting them with new customers through an online marketplace.
| Headquarters | Dublin, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Fred Helou |
| Funding Amount | $163M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | FTV Capital |
AstroTalk created an online platform for people to consult with top astrologers from India. Users can connect with these experts for personalized predictions and guidance through on-demand calls and chats.
| Headquarters | Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Puneet Gupta |
| Funding Amount | ₹2.4B |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Left Lane Capital, Elev8 Venture Partners |
63 Additional Lifestyle Startups Worth Following
Our top ten picks are just a glimpse of what's happening in the lifestyle space. From fashion to AI, founders are building all sorts of companies, raising billions of dollars along the way. Some are just getting started, while others are scaling up fast. Here’s a look at the rest of the startups shaping the lifestyle scene.
| Startup | Main Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hill House Home | Retail | 2016 | $28.4M | Series A |
 ResortPass | Retail | 2016 | $37.7M | Series B |
 Amaani | Fashion | 2023 | $6M | Seed |
 Purple Style Labs | Fashion | 2015 | $78.4M | Series E |
 Fitbod | Retail | 2015 | $4.7M | Series B |
 LARQ | Hardware | 2017 | $10.7M | Series A |
 Billie | Retail | 2017 | $31M | Venture Round |
 LePrix | Enterprise | 2014 | $5.9M | Venture Round |
 GIVA | Retail | 2019 | ₹14.4B | Series C |
 Harry's | Retail | 2013 | $907.4M | Private Equity |
 Proven Skincare | AI | 2016 | $18.2M | Series A |
 Ooni | Enterprise | 2012 | $1.7M | Product Crowdfunding |
 QNET | Fashion | 1998 | $1.3M | Series A |
 Urban Sports Club | Sports | 2012 | $175M | Venture Round |
 Mys Tyler | Marketing | 2020 | A$2.5M | Pre-Seed |
 Tuco Kids | Retail | 2022 | $6M | Series A |
 Bombay Shaving Company | Retail | 2015 | $48.8M | Debt Financing |
 Increff | AI | 2016 | $17M | Series B |
 Bewakoof | Retail | 2011 | ₹1.8B | Debt Financing |
 Citykart | Retail | 2016 | ₹6.4B | Secondary Market |
 LAAM | Retail | 2019 | $5.5M | Seed |
 WOW Skin Science | Fashion | 2014 | $124.9M | Private Equity |
 Lookalike | Media | 2021 | €560k | Seed |
 CHRONEXT | Retail | 2013 | €116.6M | Series E |
 FunNow | Fashion | 2015 | $21.8M | Series B |
 Mighty Jaxx | Retail | 2012 | $45.8M | Series A |
 TrustedHousesitters | Media | 2011 | €10M | Series A |
 OVS | Fashion | 1972 | €74.9M | Secondary Market |
 Real Pet Food Company | Media | 1994 | A$248.3M | Grant |
 Matalan | Fashion | 1981 | £25M | Seed |
 Embry Tech | Fashion | 2018 | $1M | Seed |
 Evino | Retail | 2013 | $134.2M | — |
 Freeda Media | Media | 2016 | $30.3M | Series B |
 VETRESKA | Fashion | 2017 | $60.4M | Venture Round |
 Glamm | Fashion | 2024 | $80k | Pre-Seed |
 WeRoad | Travel | 2017 | $34.5M | Series B |
 mangrove | Fashion | 2018 | ₩32.5B | Series B |
 Missoni Spa | Fashion | 1953 | $70M | Private Equity |
 Gbike | Sports | 2017 | $22.6M | Series C |
 Ismaya Group | Fashion | 2003 | IDR266B | Venture Round |
 Althea | Fashion | 2015 | $10.9M | Venture Round |
 N Kid Corporation | Travel | 2009 | $76M | Private Equity |
 CeleBreak | Marketing | 2015 | $2M | Convertible Note |
 Fabbric | Retail | 2021 | $2.1M | Seed |
 Wei Mei Zi | Fashion | 2006 | CN¥1B | Private Equity |
 Vitaance | InsurTech | 2021 | $5.6M | Seed |
 WOOM | Media | 2015 | $4.4M | Equity Crowdfunding |
 The Breakfast | Media | 2018 | $300k | — |
 Healz | AI | 2021 | €850k | Seed |
 Shouter | Fashion | 2022 | €1.2M | Pre-Seed |
 LocalBini | Travel | 2020 | CHF600k | Convertible Note |
 Anotherway | Retail | 2018 | €1.2M | Venture Round |
 Closca | Fashion | 2013 | €2M | Seed |
 Nalbes | Retail | 2017 | $3.7M | Series B |
 ETNO CAFE | Food | 2012 | €9.1M | Equity Crowdfunding |
 Fashion Library Berhad | Fashion | 2017 | MYR7.2M | Pre-Seed |
 Omoguru | Healthcare | 2019 | $560.1k | Seed |
 Dyrekassen | Retail | 2013 | NOK6M | Venture Round |
 The Vampire's Wife | Fashion | 2014 | £168.5k | Equity Crowdfunding |
 Traxby | Media | 2013 | €193k | Pre-Seed |
 Cutters | Fashion | 2015 | $118k | Seed |
 Modehaus Schnitzler | Media | 1892 | — | — |
 Stan Na Dan Sarajevo | Fashion | — | — | — |
