Massage Envy is adding a high-tech recovery option to its menu. The franchisor said select franchised locations will begin offering Aescape, a self-guided robotic massage experience that lets guests control pressure, pacing, and focus areas through a touchscreen interface. The limited release starts in November 2025 in select markets, with more franchised locations anticipated in 2026.
“Massage Envy’s mission has always been to make wellness a regular part of everyday life,” said Todd Schrader, CEO, Massage Envy Franchising. “Aescape complements that mission by giving members and guests another way to stay consistent with their self-care. Aescape is also great for people who enjoy exploring new technology, want an alternative convenient recovery option between workouts, or have been curious about massage and find a self-guided format appealing. It’s an exciting collaboration that brings innovation and accessibility together in a way that supports both guests’ and members’ ongoing routines and sets the stage for the next generation of wellness experiences.”
What Aescape’s Technology Brings To The Table
Aescape’s system blends robotics and AI to deliver a massage that adapts in real time. The platform uses sensors to map the body’s contours, then deploys synchronized robotic arms to deliver techniques and pressure across targeted muscle groups. Through an intuitive screen, guests set pressure preferences, choose music, and select goals such as relaxation or post-workout recovery. Sessions are available in 30- or 60-minute formats; users remain clothed, and the appointment includes a brief pre- and post-service window for setup and dressing.
TIME named Aescape one of the Best Inventions of 2024, recognizing how the system marries full-body scanning and machine learning with dual arms that can work both sides of the body at once; the recognition also cited availability at select hotels and clubs as the company scaled.
Eric Litman, Founder and CEO of Aescape, framed the tie-up with Massage Envy as an access play. “Massage Envy has built one of the most trusted wellness networks in the country, and their commitment to accessibility aligns with our desire to democratize great self-care,” he said. “We’re expanding access to the restorative power of massage—whether through the hands of a licensed massage therapist or through our autonomous, customizable experience. This collaboration brings together two brands committed to making personalized wellness more accessible. With Aescape, guests and members can enjoy a fully personalized, customizable massage experience designed to become a regular part of their daily routines. Together, we’re helping people enjoy the benefits of massage in new ways that suit their routines, preferences, and lifestyles.”
Why This Matters For Franchise Guests And Operators
For guests, Aescape adds flexibility. A self-guided format can appeal to people who want more control over pressure or those who simply prefer a quick, convenient session between workouts. The touchscreen interface gives instant adjustments without breaking flow. Early deployments at fitness clubs and hotels highlighted how dual arms can deliver “at least twice the work in half the time” during a 30-minute visit, a feature that may resonate with time-pressed consumers.
For franchise operators, the tech can complement traditional services by smoothing peak-time capacity and offering a consistent, data-rich experience. Aescape positions its approach as “personalized, precise, predictable,” with software that adapts to each body’s shape and preference. That consistency, paired with clear session lengths and user-led controls, may help locations meet demand while keeping guest satisfaction high.
Pricing and packaging will vary by location, but Aescape’s public listings have previously spotlighted 30- and 60-minute options and emphasized recovery-oriented programming. As the brand expands into franchise settings, those familiar formats could ease guest adoption.
The Bigger Picture: Tech-Driven Wellness Meets Scale
Massage Envy, founded in 2002 and based in Scottsdale, Arizona, operates a large franchise network that has delivered more than 235 million services across massage and skin care. By weaving in a robotics-powered option, the franchisor widens its spectrum of offerings. Members can alternate between hands-on therapists and an autonomous, customizable session depending on schedule and goals. The company has franchise locations in 49 states, which provides a broad runway for a staged roll-out if the pilot performs well.
Aescape, founded in 2017 in New York, has attracted attention from hospitality and fitness partners as it scales. The company has raised funding from investors that include Valor Siren Ventures and Valor Equity Partners. Recent coverage has highlighted growth into premium venues; at the same time, the brand keeps positioning its system as a pathway to “democratize” high-quality bodywork through software and robotics.
The collaboration lands at a moment when recovery tech is moving mainstream. Consumers have embraced percussive therapy, compression sleeves, and red-light devices; a robotic massage experience that responds to real-time feedback extends that trend into a service environment. For Massage Envy’s members, the convenience of booking a predictable, self-guided massage next to traditional services could encourage more consistent routines.
How It Works In Practice
Guests will book a 30- or 60-minute Aescape session at participating Massage Envy franchised locations. On arrival, the system calibrates; guests select targets such as back, glutes, or hamstrings and choose pressure profiles and music. The machine maps the body and adapts during the session. At the end, the interface records preferences for future visits. Session time includes up to 10 minutes for machine adjustment and dressing.
Massage Envy says a list of participating franchised locations will be posted as the limited release proceeds. Additional franchised locations are anticipated in 2026. For consumers, that means a new option for personalized recovery sessions as availability grows market by market.
As Schrader noted, the aim is consistency and accessibility, with technology that slots into everyday life. If adoption follows initial enthusiasm from fitness and hospitality pilots, the franchise environment could become a significant distribution channel for robot-assisted massage. TIME’s recognition in 2024 underscores the product’s novelty; the next phase will test how the experience scales across community-based wellness settings.
What AI And Advanced Tech Means For Service-Based Franchise Brands
Artificial intelligence and automation are rapidly reshaping how service concepts operate; the Massage Envy and Aescape collaboration is part of a wider shift. Across personal care, fitness, automotive, home services, and education, franchise brands are using AI to boost consistency, trim bottlenecks, and personalize experiences that once relied only on staff availability and manual processes.
Beyond novelty; real operating leverage
Smart scheduling engines match demand with staffing in salons, fitness studios, and clinics. In mobile cleaning and repair concepts, route optimization reduces windshield time. In quick service wellness environments, autonomous systems like Aescape create a defined, time boxed experience that can lift throughput per hour and support off peak utilization.
Personalization at scale
AI enables individualized service without slowing operations. In beauty and grooming, recommendation tools suggest add ons based on hair or skin assessments. Fitness franchises deliver tailored programs through connected equipment. Tutoring centers adapt lesson paths in real time and show franchisees dashboards that highlight where a student needs attention. The pattern is consistent; a standardized framework pairs with experiences that adapt to each customer.
Training and quality assurance get an upgrade
Franchise systems depend on brand standards. Computer vision and audio analysis can assist with cleanliness audits, safety steps, and script adherence. AI driven training modules onboard team members with scenario based coaching. Over time, this builds a repeatable performance loop across markets.
Data becomes a core asset
Service models generate rich signals such as appointment history, outcomes, product usage, and satisfaction scores. When organized well, this data powers smarter pricing, targeted offers, and inventory forecasting. For franchisees, better forecasts reduce stockouts and overordering. For franchisors, anonymized benchmarks highlight best practices that can be rolled out systemwide. Clear data governance remains essential; customers should know what is collected, why it is collected, and how it improves the experience.
Human plus machine
Most service categories will combine licensed professionals with technology. AI should augment teams rather than replace the relationship that keeps customers loyal. In wellness clinics and med spas, AI can handle intake, triage, and follow up content while clinicians focus on the service itself. In home services, diagnostics and estimating tools speed quotes so technicians can focus on craftsmanship and safety. The winning strategy redeploys human time to moments that matter.
Economics, capex, and the franchise playbook
Automation requires upfront capital and ongoing maintenance. Franchisors can support adoption with preferred financing, clear service level agreements, and uptime guarantees from vendors. A thoughtful rollout plan includes pilot markets, explicit ROI targets, and training that measures learning curves in weeks, not months. For franchise disclosure and support, brands should outline maintenance schedules, consumables, and replacement cycles so owners can model cash flows with confidence.
Example: Computer Vision In Auto Service With UVeye
Auto service provides a useful analogue for what AI and automation can accomplish in franchised operations. UVeye’s drive through scanners use high resolution imaging and AI to scan a vehicle’s exterior, underbody, and tires in seconds. The system flags visible issues such as fluid leaks, corrosion, uneven tread, sidewall bulges, or rim damage, and then produces a report that a service advisor can act on immediately. Integrations with tire and parts platforms enable faster quoting. This is the same “pre diagnose and pre position” pattern that service brands seek across categories.
Franchise Final Thought
We are entering an exciting moment for service and wellness brands; whether it is the physical execution of a massage or a super-smart AI “eyeball” scanning your car, operators and consumers stand at the precipice of something new. The common thread is simple; scan the world, learn from the data, and act with more precision. Franchises that pair human care with intelligent tools will set the pace in the next chapter of everyday services.
