GP Bullhound advised Urban Sports Club on its sale to Wellhub

The acquisition signifies a major advancement in the corporate wellness sector, broadening access to physical and digital wellness solutions for millions of employees. By integrating Wellhub’s extensive health, sport, and wellness offerings in the US, LATAM, and Europe with Urban Sports Club’s well-established European presence, the newly formed entity is strategically positioned for accelerated growth and innovation. The combination will also create new opportunities for wellness partners—including gyms, studios, and digital apps—to connect with a larger audience of corporate clients and their employees. This is enhancing the value proposition for all stakeholders and growing the market for corporate wellness solutions.

The corporate wellness market in Europe is experiencing substantial growth, driven by factors such as increasing awareness of mental health, rising healthcare costs, and a shift towards hybrid work models. Together, the combined entity is better equipped to capitalize on market trends and address the growing demand for comprehensive corporate wellbeing solutions and employee benefits.

“This acquisition represents a significant milestone in Wellhub’s European strategy, ” said Cesar Carvalho, CEO of Wellhub. “Urban Sports Club’s deep-rooted presence in Europe, coupled with their innovative approach to employee wellness, makes them an ideal partner as we meet the surging demand for holistic corporate wellness solutions and employee benefits. This strategic combination will empower more companies to invest in their employees’ health, ultimately leading to a more engaged and productive workforce.”

Simon Miremadi, Managing Director at GP Bullhound, commented: “We are incredibly proud to have been part of the phenomenal value creation journey of Urban Sports Club and its shareholders over the past 18–24 months. Through multiple transactions and now this strategic milestone, we are deeply grateful for a long-standing partnership built on trust and strategic alignment.”

With the acquisition, the combined entity will serve an expanded network of 34,500 corporate clients and 83,000 holistic wellbeing partners, including premium gyms, boutique studios, and digital wellness providers. This will allow more companies to easily offer accessible physical and digital wellness plans for their employees, with Urban Sports Club contributing a network spanning seven countries and Wellhub bringing coverage in 11 countries.

As part of the transaction, Urban Sports Club’s co-founders and Co-CEOs, Moritz Kreppel and Benjamin Roth will continue to play an active role in Urban Sports Club while also reinvesting in the combined entity to support the joint future vision and joining Wellhub’s Global Leadership Team, bringing valuable regional expertise and industry relationships.

Moritz Kreppel commented, “This is an exciting day for Urban Sports Club—for us and for the entire wellbeing and fitness industry. This acquisition is a perfect strategic fit: while Wellhub brings global reach and a technology platform, Urban Sports Club has a strong presence in Europe with a broad network of local partners. Our shared mission to inspire more and more people to lead an active and healthy lifestyle aligns perfectly. For our partners, members, and corporate clients, as well as our employees, this creates new opportunities for growth, diversity, and innovation.”

Benjamin Roth said, “We are at the beginning of an incredibly exciting chapter. Together with Wellhub, we can offer millions of people even more opportunities to stay active, healthy, and connected. The timing couldn’t be better, as our market is growing rapidly, driven by increasing awareness of health and wellbeing. This acquisition is a great opportunity for us to grow faster and drive the market forward with new ideas and innovations – benefiting our partners and members in particular.”

Urban Sports Club will operate as a separate entity, as both companies work towards a seamless integration and service for partners and clients, with Wellhub focusing on its core B2B strategy and Urban Sports Club continuing to focus on its established offerings. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory closing conditions.

Enquiries
For enquiries, please contact:
Simon Miremadi, Managing Director at simon.miremadi@gpbullhound.com
Eric Crowley, Partner at eric.crowley@gpbullhound.com

About Wellhub
Wellhub is a corporate wellness platform that connects employees to a wide range of partners for fitness, mindfulness, therapy, nutrition, and sleep, all included in one subscription. More than 22,000 companies in 11 countries use Wellhub to provide their employees with access to corporate wellbeing programs. With Wellhub, employees can engage with their wellbeing every day. The result is better productivity, higher retention, and lower healthcare costs. This is the Wellhub Effect. Become a wellness company today. For more information, visit www.wellhub.com.

About Urban Sports Club
Urban Sports Club, a leading European platform for sports and wellness, is dedicated to inspiring people to live healthy and active lives through a large and highly diverse offering. From fitness, yoga, swimming and climbing to team sports and wellness offers –members can design a unique training plan from over 50 sports across Europe and check in for sports via smartphone app. Together with its members and partners, Urban Sports Club creates a diverse community that collectively follows a vision: to be active in a world where the joy of sports is at the forefront for everyone – at any time and in any place. Urban Sports Club describes this as a world of inclusive and sustainable sports and wellbeing.

About GP Bullhound
GP Bullhound is a leading technology advisory and investment firm, providing transaction advice and capital to the world’s best entrepreneurs and founders. Founded in 1999, the firm operates across 13 offices in Europe and the US. For more information, visit www.gpbullhound.com.