‘We are creating hybrid sports offerings with our partners and look forward to shaping the future of sports together.’
Moritz Kreppel and Benjamin Roth; Co-Founders & CEOs of Urban Sports Club
We are proud to announce that Urban Sports Club successfully closed a financing round with more than EUR 80 million. ProSiebenSat.1 Group led the investment round with a combination of capital and media volume. The aim is to increase awareness of Urban Sports Club as well as health and fitness through advertising on the Group’s TV and online platforms and to strengthen our network across Europe. The investment is the first deal from the new ProSiebenSat.1 investment vehicle SevenGrowth.
Claret Capital Partners joins as a further investor, alongside financing from existing investors HV Capital, Partech, RTP Global, Rocket Internet and INKEF Capital. We are now focussing on the future of hybrid sports models. Our Urban Sports Club group, which includes Dutch market leader OneFit, is a leader in Europe, offering companies and private members a flexible, hybrid sports model with indoor, outdoor and online training. Our network includes more than 12,000 partner locations in seven European countries.
The new capital will be invested in strategic development of the product. To complement our team of currently around 400 employees, new positions particularly in product and tech, and the product range of over 50 sports will be expanded. We place our strategic focus on the B2B area of flexible corporate fitness, with the aim of promoting employee health.
Moritz Kreppel, CEO and co-founder of Urban Sports Club, says: “With SevenGrowth we found the perfect partner to inspire even more people to lead an active and healthy lifestyle through the reach of media, especially with TV. Our growth since inception shows how attractive Urban Sports Club’s flexibility and diversity is to a wide range of members. The last year in particular reinforced how essential sports and mindfulness are to our health.” The company’s sports and wellness offering addresses mega-trends such as new mobile work formats. “We’re creating hybrid sports offerings together with our partners in Europe for a hybrid working world. We’re proud of the trust our investors have placed in us. It shows how much they believe in our team and our product, and we look forward to shaping the future of sports together.”
Benjamin Roth, CEO and co-founder of Urban Sports Club: “This financing round enables us to get more people back into the studios and increase awareness of our partner locations. Through media and TV we want to inspire those who are not yet active to adopt a healthy lifestyle. That’s why the ProSiebenSat.1 Group and its investment vehicle SevenGrowth is the perfect partner. We’ll use their marketing power to get people out of lockdown lethargy and motivated to get fit and healthy. Our flexible and diverse sports and wellness offer fits the changing demands of businesses, and together with our partners we’re creating hybrid sports offers for our new hybrid working world.”
When Europe entered lockdown, we developed a live online offering that allowed partners to stream their classes from home. Now members have the most flexible and varied sports offer possible, with training available on-site at partner locations, via live stream and now with on-demand classes. This makes getting started with sports even easier. Our Urban Sports Club membership also includes relaxation and meditation options, in addition to sports and fitness. We look forward to taking the next steps together with our investors.
Friedrich Thoma, CEO of ProSiebenSat.1’s Commerce & Ventures segment, says, “It’s a very exciting moment to invest in Urban Sports Club. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the global focus on fitness and wellbeing, and further increased the demand for diverse sports offerings. Urban Sports Club has seen huge growth in recent years. By working with SevenGrowth, Urban Sports Club can reach many more customers and continue its impressive success story. We look forward to working with the team and continuing the company’s development.”
Johan Kampe, Managing Partner of Claret Capital Partners, explains: “We believe in the success of Urban Sports Club in Europe and are excited about the innovation and vast potential the platform has to offer. The Claret team is proud to be a part of a company that encourages people to enjoy sports and maintain a healthy lifestyle, and we look forward to supporting the Urban Sports Club team in their continued growth.”
