Rise Science
Chicago, US · 7 known investors
Rise Science develops RISE, a mobile app that tracks sleep and energy levels while providing personalized recommendations based on sleep debt and circadian rhythm science. The app is designed for consumers seeking to optimize sleep quality and daily energy to improve productivity and overall performance.
Also known as RISE · Rise Science, Inc. · RISE Sleep Tracker
Founders & leadership
Investors · 7
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Rise Science is a Chicago, Illinois-based technology company that develops RISE, a subscription mobile app for sleep and daily energy management. The product is organized around two concepts the company calls the 'two laws of sleep science' — sleep debt and circadian rhythm — which it links to the Two-Process Model of Sleep Regulation. RISE estimates a user's individual sleep need, tracks accumulated sleep debt, and predicts a daily energy schedule that indicates expected grogginess duration, peak focus windows, and wind-down timing.
The app works from smartphone data alone, using Apple HealthKit to receive phone movement and step data, and can optionally ingest wearable data from devices including Apple Watch, Oura, Fitbit and Garmin. On first use it pulls historical phone data to produce initial sleep need, sleep debt and bedtime estimates. Additional features documented in the company help center include a Smart Alarm, calendar integration, nap logging, manual sleep entry editing and notification customization. The app also delivers 16 science-based habit nudges timed to the user's energy schedule, and builds routines intended to address root causes of sleep difficulty using a behavior-science approach.
Rise Science deliberately does not report sleep stages (light, deep, REM), arguing that stage tracking is imprecise and not actionable, and positions sleep debt as the single most decision-relevant metric. The company also publishes a blog and podcast with content reviewed by named science, medical and clinical staff, including science advisor Jamie Zeitzer, Ph.D., medical reviewer Chester Wu, M.D., and several clinicians.
Founding story
Jeff Kahn's interest in sleep science began as an overworked and underslept student at Northwestern University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in health systems engineering and a master's degree in engineering design and innovation. He and co-founder Leon Sasson were the first to publish research on how technology can improve sleep behaviors, and subsequently ran a large study of sleep and real-world job performance spanning the NFL and sales teams. The pair founded Rise Science, initially serving elite athletes and Fortune 500 sales teams before extending the approach to general consumers through the RISE app. Both were named to a Forbes 30 Under 30 list and were reported as being 29 years old as of a Forbes profile last updated December 2021.
Business model
Rise Science sells RISE as a consumer subscription app with a free trial (the site advertises seven days free), and directs cancellations and billing through in-app subscription management. A help center documents subscription plans, payments, trials, cancellation and partner programs such as Wellhub, indicating distribution partly through third-party wellness benefit channels. The company states it does not rely on affiliate revenue for its editorial content. A third-party profile describes a December 2025 'AI Expert' coaching tier, suggesting tiered subscription pricing.
Subscription revenue from consumer app subscriptions following a seven-day free trial, with partner/benefit program distribution (e.g., Wellhub) and a higher-tier AI Expert coaching offering. The company explicitly states it does not take affiliate revenue on its content.
Traction
The company website displays 75,829 app ratings and claims 80% of RISE users feel benefits within five days, with FAQ material stating most users feel better in seven to ten days. Third-party data as of July 2026 lists approximately 25 employees (11-50 range), estimated revenue of $1M-$10M, and $16M raised over two rounds. Awards include Apple Design Awards 2023 finalist, Sleep Foundation Best Sleep Trackers 2024, and inclusion in Apple's Best Apps of 2026.
Latest developments
In December 2025, Rise Science launched AI Expert, an LLM-powered coaching tier delivering personalized sleep and energy guidance at scale. The app was named one of Apple's Best Apps of 2026 and displays 75,829 ratings on the company website. A third-party profile dated July 2026 lists approximately 25 employees and $16M raised across two rounds.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Rise Science operates in the consumer sleep and recovery technology market; a third-party database groups it with Sleep Cycle, Sleep.ai, WHOOP, Eight Sleep, Withings and Rêve, and estimates its revenue in the $1M-$10M range, considerably smaller than hardware-centric peers such as WHOOP and Withings. Its recognition — Apple Design Awards 2023 finalist, repeated Apple App of the Day and Editor's Choice placements, Sleep Foundation Best Sleep Trackers 2024, and one of Apple's Best Apps of 2026 — indicates an established position among software-only sleep apps. Investors are described as backers of Fitbit, Peloton and Facebook.
The company positions RISE against other sleep trackers by emphasizing actionability rather than measurement: it models each user's individual sleep biology instead of assuming a universal eight-hour need, and focuses on sleep debt and circadian timing rather than sleep stages, which it argues are at best estimates and not useful for behavior change. It also stresses that no wearable is required — phone data alone is claimed to be sufficient and, per the company, often more accurate than wearables — lowering adoption friction. Editorially, it cites peer-reviewed research directly and states it takes no affiliate revenue, and it notes its co-founders were the first to publish a paper showing that sleep apps can help people get more sleep and feel better.
Technology
RISE uses proprietary models rooted in sleep science to infer a user's sleep need, sleep debt and circadian rhythm from passive smartphone data (movement and steps via Apple HealthKit) and, optionally, wearable data from Apple Watch, Oura, Fitbit and Garmin. Outputs include a predicted daily energy schedule with grogginess duration, peak focus windows and wind-down timing, plus 16 timed habit nudges. In December 2025 the company added an LLM-powered 'AI Expert' coaching tier. The website stack detected by a third party includes React, Google Analytics, Cloudflare Bot Management, Open Graph, AdRoll, LinkedIn Ads, AddThis and X-XSS-Protection.
Go-to-market
Distribution is direct-to-consumer through mobile app stores, supported by a free trial, a content marketing engine (blog, podcast, sleep guides) and press coverage. Third-party technology detection shows advertising tooling including AdRoll and LinkedIn Ads. Awards and editorial placements from Apple and the Sleep Foundation function as acquisition channels. The help center references partner programs such as Wellhub, and the company has run co-marketing and data partnerships (Mattress Clarity, HPaW). Founder visibility in outlets such as Forbes, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, ESPN, NBC, CBS and Fox Sports supports awareness.
Primarily general consumers seeking better sleep and daytime energy, reachable with only a smartphone. Historically the founders served elite athletes (including NFL players) and corporate sales teams, and a third-party profile notes traction across athletes, startups and Fortune 500 companies, indicating an adjacent enterprise/corporate wellness and sports performance audience.
Geography
A third-party business database lists the company as based in Illinois, United States, specifically Chicago, with roughly 25 employees spread across three continents (North America, Asia and Europe) as of July 2026. The consumer app is distributed through mobile app stores; no country-specific availability details are given in the sources, though the help center references supported languages.
History
Founders Jeff Kahn and Leon Sasson began by helping top-performing athletes and sales teams improve performance through sleep, and completed what the company describes as the largest known study of how sleep impacts real-world job performance across the NFL and sales teams. The consumer product line followed: a sleep and energy tracking app in January 2021, RISE for Apple Watch in February 2021, an updated app version in April 2021, and the announced consumer launch of RISE in June 2021 alongside $15.5M in funding. Partnerships followed with HPaW (2022) and Mattress Clarity (2023), and an AI Expert coaching tier launched in December 2025. The app has accumulated recognition including Apple App of the Day placements, App Store Editor's Choice, Apple Design Awards 2023 finalist, Sleep Foundation Best Sleep Trackers 2024, and one of Apple's Best Apps of 2026.
Risks & controversies
Sources do not report litigation or controversies. Notable profile risks visible in the material are limited: reliance on consumer subscription retention, dependence on Apple/HealthKit and app-store distribution and awards for visibility, and third-party estimates (employee count, revenue range, total funding) that differ modestly from company-stated figures ($15M vs. $15.5M vs. $16M across sources).
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 2
by search overlap
Companies competing with Rise Science for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 10
launches, deals, and filingsRise Science launched AI Expert, an LLM-powered coaching tier that delivers personalized sleep and energy guidance at scale.
Mattress Clarity partnered with Rise Science, which supplied app-user data on sleep debt for an investigation into sleep debt across America.
The RISE app was a finalist for the Apple Design Awards 2023, and is described as a frequent Apple App of the Day and App Store Editor's Choice award winner.
HPaW partnered with RISE to raise awareness of the importance and impact of sleep on performance and well-being.
Rise Science announced the launch of its consumer app, RISE, alongside $15.5M in funding.
Rise Science launched a new sleep and energy tracking app aimed at improving users' sleep and daily energy.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Rise Sciencerisescience.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Rise Science do?
- Chicago-based Rise Science makes RISE, a subscription app that tracks sleep debt and circadian rhythm to predict and improve daily energy.
- Who founded Rise Science?
- Rise Science was founded by Jeff Kahn, Leon Sasson.
- Who are Rise Science's investors?
- Rise Science's investors include High Alpha, Freestyle Capital, True Ventures, Chicago Ventures, Felicis Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Starting Line.
- Where is Rise Science headquartered?
- Rise Science is headquartered in Chicago, US.