About Vor

The global fitness app market is projected to reach $33.58 billion by 2033. Behind every one of those apps is an exercise programming challenge. That is the problem Vor was built to solve.

As a personal trainer, Max Cotton spent years in the gym watching what great programming could do for someone. How it could change their life. He was curious about how technology could help him reach more people. So he started building.

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In the summer of 2021, Max met Jesse Shanahan, who was at that time the Head of Applied AI for Swedish AI company Peltarion. Jesse had a background in AI research and a clear conviction that large language models would never reliably solve the problem of safe, consistent, personalised exercise programming. Together, alongside the rest of the team, Jesse and Max began to build something entirely new. By the end of that year they had their first MVP. Jesse joined the team full-time as CTO in 2022.

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Peter Roberts, the founder of PureGym, joined as investor and board member in 2022. The technology accelerated.

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Vor launched in 2024, giving fitness businesses and healthcare providers the infrastructure to deliver personalised exercise programming to thousands of users at once. The opportunity ahead for the industry is enormous. Vor is the invisible layer that powers it.

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Source: Grand View Research

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2021

Research begins. Jesse joins. First AI MVP delivered.

2022

Peter Roberts, founder of PureGym, joins as investor and board member.

2023

Full engine development begins.

2024

Vor launches. First live demos at Elevate, Excel London.

2025

Pilots launched with international gym groups and hardware providers.

2026

Vor technology in the hands of users around the world. Significant partnership growth.

Our Team

Max Cotton

CEO, Founder

Former professional MMA fighter, ultramarathon runner, and triathlete. He transitioned from sales to PT, to the startup world. Passionate about revolutionising personalised fitness globally.

Jesse Shanahan

CTO, Lead AI Developer

AI researcher and disability activist, co-founder of the American Astronomical Society's Working Group on Accessibility and Disability, with expertise in AI ethics and bias in natural language processing.

Sam Brown Abreu

Head of Product

Master PT with a deep understanding of body mechanics, anatomy, and what makes people exercise. Sam lives in vast exercise spreadsheets, working round the clock to improve our engine processes and training methodologies.

Tash Curry

Chief of Staff

Specialist in women’s health and pre/post-natal training. Oversees daily operations, implements new processes and supports team goals.

Jason Heightman

Marketing & Design Manager

A Swiss army knife creative with 8+ years experience in marketing, content creation, design, digital marketing, copywriting and UX.

Our Experts

Max Cotton

CEO, Founder

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Jesse Shanahan

CTO, Lead AI Developer

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Jason Heightman

Marketing Manager

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Sam Brown Abreu

Head of Exercise Research

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See Vor in action

We'll show you how Vor can work inside your product.

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FAQs

How do I know it’s reliable?

Vor is coded from scratch on exercise science, by a team of qualified personal trainers and AI engineers. Every output is traceable back to the logic it was built on. There is no guesswork, no ambiguity, no LLM. You always know exactly how and why a programme was generated.

Does Vor use ChatGPT?

No. Vor is not an LLM wrapper. General-purpose AI models like ChatGPT are designed to produce plausible-sounding language, not safe or effective exercise programming. Vor has been built specifically for this purpose since 2021, and has consistently outperformed LLMs on both quality and safety.

Do I need new hardware?

No. Vor integrates with your existing tech stack via API — whether that's a member app, a trainer portal or a simple web application. It also programmes around your existing gym equipment and floor layout, so there's nothing new to buy.

Are you replacing personal trainers with AI?

Vor can work alongside your trainers or be offered directly to members, with whatever level of trainer oversight you choose.

What results will I see?

Exercise programme generation that is 100 to 200 times faster than manual programming. Expert PT quality programming at scale means better engagement, better retention and better health outcomes for your users.