Two weeks after it won entry to a high-profile American accelerator, Halifax-based Wellnify has announced a partnership agreement with another Nova Scotia company, outdoor gym equipment-maker Outdoor-Fit Exercise Systems.

Under the deal, 61 schools in Milwaukee where Outdoor-Fit has already installed its exercise equipment will have access to Wellnify’s app, which aims to use gamification and community features to encourage people to exercise. For example, users join fitness challenges that encourage them to compete to exercise more. The app is typically sold as a white label product.

The news comes close on the heels of Wellnify being accepted into the sports cohort of internationally noted startup accelerator Techstars in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“By merging (Outdoor-Fit’s) cutting-edge Outdoor Gyms with our Community Wellness Digital Ecosystem, we aim to inspire a fresh wave of fitness enthusiasts and foster a lasting commitment to healthy habits and behaviours among students in their region,” said Wellnify CEO Travis McDonough in a statement.

McDonough, a serial entrepreneur, previously founded Kinduct, which developed what it billed as the world's largest collection of sports data for athletes, coaches, trainers and medicine professionals. Launched in 2010, Kinduct eventually grew to have more than 500 clients from around the world, including professional and national sports organizations, before being acquired in 2020.

McDonough went on to found Wellnify in 2022, and according to LinkedIn data, the company now employs just shy of 20 people. The Techstars program will last three months, with a demo day in December.