Leisure Opportunities
Job search
Job Search
see all jobs
Latest job opportunities
English Heritage
£30,190 - £32,636pa + matched pension + benefits
Home-based with countrywide travel
Everyone Active
27,635
Stowmarket

Robot massage company, Aescape Inc, goes bust with shortfall of $157 million

Massage'>Robot massage company, Aescape Inc has entered insolvency
Its assets were bought in January by a vehicle called Aescape Recovery Inc which continues to trade
Total funding gap is understood to be US$157 million
Creditors have been advised they are unlikey to recover anything meaningful
Job opportunities
English Heritage
£30,190 - £32,636pa + matched pension + benefits
location: Home-based with countrywide travel, United Kingdom
more jobs

US-based robotics Wellness company Aescape Inc has entered insolvency proceedings following the sale of substantially all of its assets and escalating financial pressures.

A notice issued by Insolvency Services Group confirms that Aescape, Inc executed a General Assignment for the benefit of creditors on 3 April 2026, appointing it to oversee the wind-down.

The move follows a foreclosure process linked to defaults on a secured loan originally held by Silicon Valley Bank (SVB).

Founded in 2017, Aescape Inc developed AI-assisted robotic massage tables and operated across partner locations in the US. The business had been in a transition phase, moving from pre-revenue development to commercial operations in 2024, but early trading delivered only modest revenues against a high capital cost base.

According to the filing, the company’s financial position deteriorated under the weight of “very high capital Investment and expense burdens”, leading to substantial losses. SVB issued a notice of default in December 2025, with the secured loan balance at no less than US$11.8m at that time.

The debt was subsequently acquired by Black Stag Lending, which provided an additional US$5m revolving facility to support operations during a transition period. However, Aescape Inc was unable to cure its defaults and a public foreclosure sale was held on 30 January 2026, with a single bidder – Aescape Recovery Inc – acquiring the entirety of company’s assets for a credit bid of US$16.6m.

Following the transaction, Aescape Inc was left as an “assetless shell”, prompting directors to initiate the assignment process. At the time of filing, the company still owed approximately US$4.55m to Black Stag, alongside unsecured debts totalling around US$152.6m, including US$136.8m in unsecured convertible notes.

Creditors have been warned that, given the prior foreclosure on substantially all assets, it is unlikely there will be any meaningful recovery for unsecured claims.

Aescape Inc had been positioned as a pioneering player in the convergence of wellness and automation, with Spa Business previously reporting on its ambition to scale robotic massage Technology within the Spa and wellness sector.

The concept – combining AI, data capture and consistent Treatment delivery – attracted significant industry interest, as operators explored tech-enabled recovery solutions, however, the collapse highlights the challenges of capital-intensive innovation where long development cycles and high hardware costs combine with a high-risk model.

Creditors have until 30 September 2026 to submit claims.

Aescape Recovery Inc continues to trade using the original Aescape Inc assets.

Aescape Inc founder, Eric Litman, left the company in earlier this year and launched a new start-up called Healthspanners in March.

Sign up for FREE ezines, news alerts & magazines
US-based robotics wellness company Aescape Inc has entered insolvency proceedings following the sale of substantially all of its assets and escalating financial pressures.
TEC,HAF,SAB
2026/THUMB-HIGH-20260506-182115-9771.jpg

More News

1 - 15 of 69,632
23 Jun 2026
London-based high-performance fitness club, ONE LDN, is raising funds for a multi-site expansion across London, the UK, and Europe over the next five years. Founded ... More
23 Jun 2026
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held ... More
23 Jun 2026
After some delays, work on Newcastle’s £28.9 million wellness centre at West Denton is underway and scheduled for completion in late 2027.  FaulknerBrowns Architects, which ... More
23 Jun 2026
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event ... More
22 Jun 2026
A new brain clinic has opened in London, which uses non-invasive brain stimulation to treat chronic pain, anxiety and burnout at the neurological source. Naya ... More
22 Jun 2026
Palazzo di Varignana, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, has created a new tailored health programme designed specifically for families. Families with young children ... More
22 Jun 2026
Good Boost’s digital exercise programmes are helping adults with MSK at a lower cost than physiotherapy, according to a study carried out by the University ... More
22 Jun 2026
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa. The ... More
22 Jun 2026
With Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announcing his resignation this morning and Andy Burnham as a possible successor, the fitness, health and wellness sector is evaluating ... More
22 Jun 2026
Koru Health Club launched recently within Luxembourg’s multi-experience destination, GRID X, which combines culture, retail and hospitality. The club combines high-end sports facilities with a ... More
22 Jun 2026
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its 22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the ... More
22 Jun 2026

The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor, creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's ... More

20 Jun 2026
Swiss furniture manufacturer Vitra has unveiled a major landscape project designed to improve biodiversity, manage water and increase climate resilience across the Vitra Campus in ... More
19 Jun 2026
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Elevate has had its busiest show to date, with almost 200 exhibitors, 115 seminars and 200 speakers over two days, with ... More
19 Jun 2026
A new report from Your Personal Training (YPT) suggests UK gym operators could be missing out on revenue and retention opportunities they could be enjoying ... More
1 - 15 of 69,632