Clipperton acted as exclusive sell-side financial advisor to Gymlib, its management and shareholders on its strategic alliance with EGYM, a global fitness technology leader.

 

Executive Summary

  • Gymlib, the French leading sport and well-being subscription service for employees, forms a strategic alliance with Munich-based fitness technology leader EGYM and its subsidiary Qualitrain, the sector leader in Germany. 
  • This transaction is a landmark deal in the sport tech industry and marks the creation of the leading European player in the corporate sports segment. 
  • It is also a testimony of Clipperton’s fast growing track record in the digital health and consumer subscription space. Notable recent transactions in the segment include advising 8fit on its sale to Withings, Merieux’ on the $150m financing round of Dental Monitoring at a $1bn valuation, Inova on its $70m investment by Carlyle and a large fundraise for a leading mindfulness platform (confidential). 

Our Client 

  • Gymlib offers a sport and well-being membership service for companies and their employees. The company is a leader in France with a network of over 4 000 gyms proposing more than 300 types of activities in France and Belgium. 
  • Founded in 2014 by Sébastien Bequart and Mohamed Tazi, and later joined by Grégoire Véron, Gymlib assists over 600 companies, from SMEs to large corporates, that want to improve the well-being and quality of life of their employees through sport and health prevention.
  • Start-ups such as Deliveroo, PayFit, Qonto and Spendesk, or major groups like Danone and GRT Gaz are happy clients of Gymlib’s services.
  • The company had raised over €15m to date with investors such as Breega Capital, Alyan Group and Fa Dièse. 

Gymlib x EGYM: Deal Rationale

  • EGYM was co-founded in 2010 in Munich by Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer and Florian Sauter. Since inception, the company has raised €167M and is today the global leader in fitness technology.
  • EGYM provides fitness and health facilities with intelligent workout solutions built on a robust ecosystem of connected gym equipment and software. 
  • A common mission is uniting Gymlib and EGYM: to help companies take care of their employees’ health. Jointly, they form a leading European player in the corporate sports segment covering the following markets: France, Germany, Belgium and Austria. 
  • The corporate sports market in France and Germany is currently worth more than €2.5 billion. Today, for many companies, a corporate sport offering can contribute as an internal driver to improve well-being at work, team cohesion and, in the long term, the retention of talent.

Process Highlights & Clipperton’s Role

  • Clipperton was appointed as exclusive sell-side financial advisor by Gymlib’s management and shareholders
  • This is testimony of Clipperton’s fast growing track record in the digital health and consumer subscription space. Notable recent transactions in the segment include advising 8fit on its sale to Withings, Merieux’ on the $150m financing round of Dental Monitoring at a $1bn valuation, Inova on its $70m investment by Carlyle and a large fundraise for a leading mindfulness platform (confidential). 
  • It also demonstrates Clipperton’s ability to support European category leaders in their transactions with cross-border counterparts (recent reference transactions: Packlink’s acquisition by Auctane, Click&Boat’s investment led by Permira and Boats Group, or  Sendinblue’s $160m growth equity funding led by Bridgepoint, Bpifrance, and Blackrock).
  • Sébastien Bequart, co-founder and CEO of Gymlib, said: “In order to continue Gymlib’s growth in an increasingly competitive European market, we were looking to partner with a leading player. We were seduced by Philipp and Nicolas’ (Managing Director of Qualitrain by EGYM) project to revolutionize the practice of sport in the world by combining EGYM’s innovation with the business of corporate well-being.” 
  • Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer, CEO at EGYM, stated: “We are very impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of the founders of Gymlib who have succeeded in massively developing their business in the wake of the pandemic. Sébastien, Mohamed and Grégoire have worked tirelessly to connect the fitness industry and the corporate health market and have managed to become the French market leader with more limited financial means than their competitors. We look forward to injecting more technology and funding into our joint ambition.”
  • Thomas de Montille, Partner at Clipperton, commented: “We are thrilled to have advised the Gymlib team and shareholders in this process. It is a pleasure to advise companies leveraging technology for good. Gymlib is undoubtedly already a strong market leader but the potential remains huge! I am sure that Gymlib will continue to flourish alongside EGYM to revolutionise the European corporate health market.” 

Deal Team

About Clipperton

Clipperton is a leading investment bank dedicated to technology and growth companies. We provide strategic and financial advisory to entrepreneurs, corporates, and top-tier investors in Europe willing to execute transactions such as strategic M&A, private equity transactions, and private placements. Founded in 2003 and with offices in Paris, Berlin, Munich, London, New York, and Beijing, Clipperton has completed over 350 M&A and private placement transactions with fast-growing technology start-ups, blue-chip corporates, and renowned financial investors.