Zwift names Twitter's Pichette, Lululemon's Burgoyne to board

[SAN FRANCISCO] Zwift, an online fitness platform best known for hosting virtual cycling races, has named Patrick Pichette and Celeste Burgoyne to its board.

MR Pichette, currently Twitter Inc's chairman, is a partner at Inovia Capital, a venture fund that has invested in Zwift. Last March, Mr Pichette - formerly Google's chief financial officer- posted on Twitter that he'd joined Zwift "to stay safe during these trying times." Ms Burgoyne is Lululemon Athletica Inc's first president, overseeing customer-facing aspects of the North American business, including stores and e-commerce. She is also a Zwift user.

"Zwift is at the beginning of a new chapter as it develops the hardware to complement its software platform to provide a fully integrated at-home fitness experience," Ms Burgoyne said in a statement, referencing the company's plans to develop fitness equipment including its own indoor bike.

Long Beach, California-based Zwift, led by CEO Eric Min, last year raised US$450 million from investors including KKR & Co. that elevated its valuation above US$1 billion, granting it so-called unicorn status.

Companies like Zwift and larger rival Peloton Interactive Inc are benefiting from a boom in at-home workouts as the coronavirus pandemic curbs gym attendance and forces more people inside. The company last year hosted a virtual Tour de France race for professional cyclists, and its technology connects with bike trainers, treadmills and other equipment, enabling users to compete against each other.

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