Kotcha Raises €3.5M To Scale Its AI-Powered Coaching Platform For Runners

The round was led by Racine² (operated by Serena and makesense), with participation from TrueGlobal, Motier Ventures, and several investors from the consumer, health, running, and sports sectors.

Kotcha leverages AI to recreate the athlete–coach relationship, offering adaptive, personalised training guidance at scale.

With race participation surging the London Marathon received over 1.1 million entries for 2026, double that of 2024 access to tailored coaching remains limited. Most runners still choose between generic fitness apps at around €20 per month or human coaches costing about €100 per month.

Kotcha bridges this gap through an AI coaching team that dynamically adjusts to each runner’s performance, goals, and progress in real time.

Founded by marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge, alongside Ben Dupont (CEO), Michel-André Chirita (CTO), Dimitri Dor (CMO), and the NN Running Team, Kotcha is built on the belief that running is a team sport and no one should run alone. The founding team worked closely with Kipchoge to embed this philosophy into every aspect of the product.

Running is a team sport. Without my coaches and teammates, I would never have pushed human limits. With Kotcha, we wanted to share not just the training structure but the full support system that made it possible, says Eliud Kipchoge.

Unlike most running apps that lock athletes into rigid 12- or 16-week training plans, Kotcha recreates the experience of a real coaching team with four AI coaches a Head Coach, Nutritionist, Data Analyst, and Personal Trainer each trained in NN Running Team methodologies.

Tested with over 300 runners, Kotcha delivers a reliable, adaptive coaching experience designed to support athletes of all levels, from beginners to marathon professionals.

AI often lacks the context to meet runners’ expectations. Kotcha is designed to understand each runner’s goals, training load, and patterns, so guidance feels like it comes from a coach who truly knows you, shares Ben Dupont.

Kotcha’s vision comes to life through its everyday features. Each Sunday, the app reviews recent data and feedback to plan the week ahead, automatically adjusting for missed sessions. Before and after every run, it provides personalised briefings and debriefs, while runners can ask questions on training, nutrition or recovery and receive instant, expert responses.

The pre-seed funding will support Kotcha’s official launch and drive its expansion across Europe and beyond, bringing adaptive, AI-powered coaching to runners worldwide.

About Kotcha

Kotcha is a next-generation running app co-built with Eliud Kipchoge and the NN Running Team. Combining elite coaching expertise with AI, Kotcha offers adaptive, personalised training, nutrition, and recovery guidance bringing the experience of a professional coaching team to every runner, from beginners to seasoned marathoners.