creator tayla cannon receives $1.1 million investment from slow ventures’ creator fund to build pt software

Tayla Cannon's Journey from Physiotherapy to Rebuildr

In 2023, Tayla Cannon relocated from Australia to the United States, accepting a position in a new city she had never previously visited.

She described the move to TechCrunch as a chance for a completely new beginning, stating she arrived with “no family, no friends, just a fresh start.”

Early Career and Disillusionment

Initially, Cannon pursued a career in physiotherapy, motivated by a desire to positively impact the lives of others. However, she found that the conventional physiotherapy model lacked a certain fulfillment.

A subsequent role in interventional cardiology did little to alleviate her growing dissatisfaction with the prevailing approach to physical rehabilitation, which she characterized as “localized, reactive, and volume-based.”

The Rise of a Content Creator

During her free time, Cannon began creating content online, sharing her insights on “proactive” and “holistic” pain management strategies.

This endeavor unexpectedly gained significant traction, cultivating a dedicated online following.

From Social Media to Entrepreneurship

Currently, Cannon boasts over 130,000 followers on Instagram. She is also the founder of Athletic Rebuild, a company offering rehab and performance coaching to athletes.

Her latest venture, Rebuildr, is a HIPAA-compliant mentorship application designed to empower rehab professionals to establish and operate their own online businesses. The platform is scheduled for launch in early next year.

“I wasn’t trying to build a business; I was just putting my brain on the internet and helping people rethink what care could look like,” Cannon explained.

Seed Funding from Slow Ventures

Cannon’s work attracted the attention of Slow Ventures, who announced a $1.1 million seed investment on Tuesday.

She represents one of the first creators to receive funding from Slow Ventures’ $60 million Creator Fund, an initiative dedicated to supporting impactful content creators and influencers.

An Unplanned Path to Success

Cannon stated that she initially shared her ideas on social media in 2024 without any specific plan to turn it into a profession.

“There was no strategy, no roadmap, and certainly no business model behind it,” she admitted. She attributes her success to the authenticity and genuine nature of her content, a common trait among successful creators.

Challenges of Rapid Growth

However, expanding a brand through social media presents its own set of challenges. The rapid growth of her online presence created a need to understand business principles, consumer behavior, and effective content strategies.

“None of which are taught in healthcare,” she noted. “We’re trained to help people, not to build brands.”

Identifying the Bottleneck and Building a Team

A pivotal moment arrived when Cannon realized she was the primary limitation to her business’s scalability.

“I couldn’t keep scaling something that depended solely on me. I had to build something that could grow without me,” she said, leading her to hire additional personnel to support her projects.

Shifting Focus to Solutions

Cannon further refined her approach by transitioning from simply identifying problems within the rehab world to actively developing solutions.

Rebuildr is envisioned as a “complete shift from localized reactive care to a proactive, holistic mode,” combining consumer-facing tools, clinical expertise, educational resources, and the necessary software to deliver comprehensive care at scale.

Connecting with Slow Ventures

Cannon was introduced to the Slow Ventures team through a friend, who invited her to an event in Austin.

“I had zero intention of raising capital,” she confessed. “I wasn’t even pitching. I wasn’t even preparing a deck.” Nevertheless, she connected with Megan Lightcap, an investor at Slow, and shared her vision for Rebuildr.

“The conversation sparked something,” Cannon said, adding that Slow Ventures has helped her “imagine a version of Rebuilder that’s even bigger” than her initial concept.

Competition and Future Aspirations

Existing personal trainer software options include TrainHeroic, Trainerize, and Everfit. Cannon hopes Rebuildr will fundamentally transform the rehab industry.

“I want to make high-quality rehab accessible anywhere in the world, not limited by geography, insurance, or 30-minute appointments,” she concluded.