In collaboration with Apa Wellness
When Asaf Ventura, the founder of Apa Wellness, was gravely wounded in Jenin by an explosive device during his military service, he couldn’t have foreseen that his long, painful journey of rehabilitation would lead to a groundbreaking invention. Today, Ventura is the VP of Product & Innovation at Apa Wellness, an Israeli startup with a mission to transform ordinary swimming pools into intelligent, versatile gyms for rehabilitation, fitness and wellness.
Apa’s “water-native multi-training system” is a family of modular products designed for aquatic exercise and therapy. The system promises to make any pool—private, public, therapeutic or hotel—into a fully equipped training environment that can be adapted for rehabilitation, fitness or even Pilates-inspired movement.
Asaf Ventura, VP of Product & Innovation at Israeli startup Apa Wellness, speaks with Ynet Global
“After my injury, the pool was the first place I could put my changed body in without shame,” Ventura told Ynet Global in a studio interview. “I understood something was missing in existing hydrotherapy. That gap became the root of Apa.”
Ventura, an industrial designer, drew on his experience to design a system that is easy to install and remove, using specially developed vacuum caps and buoyancy principles based on Archimedes’ law. This design enables rapid setup in virtually any pool. But Apa’s real innovation lies in integrating sensors, AI and app connectivity to monitor, measure and guide exercise.
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Asaf Ventura during his recovery in hospital after being severely wounded by an explosive device in Jenin while serving in the IDF
(Photo: Courtesy)
“It’s not just equipment—it’s a new methodology combining technology, movement and water,” Ventura explained.
Finalizing prototypes
Yuval Matalon, Apa’s CEO, says the company is finalizing its prototypes and preparing for production. The vision is ambitious: turning more than 30 million pools worldwide—many underutilized—into smart training facilities. “Pools are empty much of the time. We’re creating a new category of aquatic sport and therapy,” Matalon said.
He sees Israel as a natural launch market, both for its tech-savvy population and, heartbreakingly, the high number of soldiers in need of rehabilitation due to the ongoing war. “Motivation is one of the hardest parts of rehab. If we can make it engaging and accessible, we can help bring people back to life.”
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Dr. Osnat Fliess Douer, Apa’s Chief Science Officer and a veteran aquatic therapist with 30 years’ experience, joined the project after seeing an early prototype. “I remember saying, ‘Eureka! It’s a revolution,’” she said via Zoom.
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Ventura and Matalon demonstrate the company’s aquatic training system during a rehab session
(Photo: Courtesy)
“Pools can be boring for repetitive therapy. This system is an entire ecosystem. It offers modular add-ons, real-time feedback and even the ability to quantify progress—something we never had before.” According to Dr. Fliess Douer, therapists are eager to get their hands on the product. Patients, she says, love that it doesn’t “feel” like rehab, describing it instead as fun, empowering and hopeful
Apa’s founders see their work as a mission as much as a business.
“This platform was born in the water,” Ventura said. “It brings people together, it gives them freedom, and it changes lives.” As the company prepares to move from R&D to production, APA hopes to export not just equipment but a new philosophy of movement—one that makes healing, fitness and wellbeing accessible to all.
In collaboration with Apa Wellness