Case Study: Hydrow brings affordable, shippable rowing to more consumers with PA Consulting

Hydrow launches a lighter, shippable rower with PA Consulting after raising $255 million

PA Consulting partnered with Hydrow, a company founded by CEO Bruce Smith that created the high-end Hydrow Classic connected rower. While successful, the original rower was a luxury item requiring professional setup and significant space. Hydrow's challenge was to make an industry-leading rowing experience accessible to a wider, mass-market audience by developing a more affordable, shippable, and portable machine.

The solution was the Hydrow Wave, designed and engineered by PA Consulting. PA leveraged its existing partnership with Hydrow to create a lighter, foldable rower that could ship in a standard box and be assembled by users. PA's work included industrial design, mechanical engineering, material selection, and prototyping. The result was a successful product launch in 2022 that expanded Hydrow's consumer base, achieved sales, and helped the company build internal capabilities for future innovation.

Hydrow