Urban Sports Club has successfully closed a financing round of more than €80 million. ProSiebenSat.1 Group led the investment round with a combination of capital and media volume. The fresh funds will be used to increase awareness of Urban Sports Club and health/fitness through advertising on the Group’s TV and online platforms, as well as strengthen their network across Europe.
Urban Sports Club was founded back in 2012 to provide a more flexible sports and gym membership option. Co-founders Moritz Kreppel (who was a speaker at the EU-Startups Summit) and Benjamin Roth were looking to work out, swim, and play tennis or football in different gyms or clubs depending on the city, workload, and personal preferences, but the options were pretty limited. This led them to develop Urban Sports Club, where users can combine different sports, checking in and train at more than 12,000 partner venues across Europe.
Their new investment is the first deal from the new ProSiebenSat.1 investment vehicle SevenGrowth, and in addition, Claret Capital Partners has joined as a further investor, alongside financing from existing investors HV Capital, Partech, RTP Global, Rocket Internet and INKEF Capital.
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. The strategic focus will be turned to the B2B area of flexible corporate fitness, with the aim of promoting employee health.
The startup is also now focusing on the future of hybrid sports models. The 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.
Moritz Kreppel, CEO and co-founder of Urban Sports Club, said: “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 said: “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, the startup 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. The membership also now includes relaxation and meditation options, in addition to sports and fitness.
Friedrich Thoma, CEO of ProSiebenSat.1’s Commerce & Ventures segment, commented: “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, also commented: “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.”
