Supermonkey

What Supermonkey does

Supermonkey (超级猩猩健身), founded in 2014 in Shenzhen, China, operates a pay-per-use fitness studio and self-service gymbox network across eight major Chinese cities (Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, with Chongqing hiring signals). The company serves urban fitness enthusiasts and corporate clients with two core product lines: (1) Group Class Studios offering nearly 100 class varieties across six categories (yoga/pilates, slimming/shaping, boxing/dance, regeneration, performance enhancement, and children's potential development) booked via WeChat on a per-session basis with no annual membership, and (2) Gymboxes — patented self-service fitness cabins in container and indoor formats equipped with treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, Smith machines, barbells, and dumbbells, controlled by the proprietary IoT 'Smart Sream System' that enables 24/7 unattended operation. The business model layers pay-per-session usage fees, Corporate Card enterprise benefits (minimum RMB 5,000 top-ups, 5% employee discount), and bulk voucher purchases for gifting and B2B distribution, supported by WeChat-native booking, ~200 organic fitness communities, and direct-operated CBD storefronts under the 'Urban Spot in Motion' concept.

The company's underlying technology stack combines WeChat mini-program booking, IoT-enabled access control and environmental management, and direct-operated retail infrastructure across ~200 studios. Surrounding this core, Supermonkey has built a content and talent ecosystem: SUPERMONKEY College (founded 2017) serves as an industry IP platform for curriculum R&D, the Super Banana Program (2018) invests in coach development and certification, and the SUPERTEAM platform positions instructors as urban lifestyle KOLs with career lifecycle support. The company achieved unicorn status in May 2021 via a Series E round led by CICC Capital at a valuation of nearly USD 1 billion, following earlier backing from Sequoia China, Fosun RZ Capital, and Ventech China. Strategic positioning differentiates on the absence of annual contracts and sales pressure — explicitly contrasting with traditional Chinese gym membership models — while pursuing full vertical integration from instructor training through studio operations to enterprise sales channels.

Name

Supermonkey

Legal name

深圳市超级猩猩健身管理有限公司 (Shenzhen Supermonkey Fitness Management Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://supermonkey.com.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Fitness Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Strength & Conditioning Bootcamps (HSADABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Gym Systems & Smart Fitness Equipment Retail (Connected Mirrors, Smart Bikes, All-in-One Gyms) (CRAMADAG), Small-Group Personal Training (Semi-Private) (HSADAAAN), Youth & Teen Personal Training (HSADAAAJ)

Keywords

• Pay-per-session fitness
• Boutique fitness studios
• Self-service gymbox
• Group fitness classes
• Corporate fitness benefits

Headquarters

HQ city

Shenzhen

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Pay-per-session fitness classes: Users pay per session for group fitness classes including yoga, pilates, boxing, dance, slimming, and performance training. No annual membership required.
2. Corporate Card Program: Enterprise fitness benefit cards starting at 5000 RMB with no cap. Companies pay for employee fitness expenses with 5% discount on self-service and group classes. Does not support private instructor or CAMP courses.
3. Vouchers and SuperMonkey Cards: Bulk purchase service offering vouchers and prepaid cards in physical card or CDKEY formats for gifting or corporate use.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Supermonkey operates a pay-per-session boutique fitness network in China, running two core formats: instructor-led Group Class Studios (six categories covering yoga, pilates, boxing, dance, slimming/shaping, performance enhancement, and children's development) and IoT-enabled Gymbox self-service fitness pods available 24/7 without staff. Users book individual classes or gymbox sessions via WeChat on a usage-based model with no annual membership requirement, and a separate Corporate Card channel supplies enterprise fitness benefits to employees with a 5% discount.

Product overview

Supermonkey is a Shenzhen-based fitness technology startup operating a network of pay-per-use fitness studios and self-service gymboxes across major Chinese cities. The company offers three core product lines: Group Class Studios providing six categories of instructor-led group fitness sessions booked via WeChat without annual memberships; Gymboxes offering 24-hour self-service fitness pods with IoT-enabled access control; and SUPERMONKEY College serving as the company's content IP platform for instructor training and curriculum development. Supporting services include Corporate Card for enterprise employee benefits, SUPERMONKEY Card vouchers for batch purchases, and SUPERTEAM for coach career development. The company pioneered the 'Urban Spot in Motion' concept bringing boutique fitness studios to CBD locations with a subscription-free model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 超猩学院 (Super Monkey College): Fitness industry content IP platform focused on curriculum development, instructor training, and industry think tank building, established in 2017.
• SUPERTEAM
• 超猩管家 (Super Monkey Butlers)

Products and services

• Group Class Studio (团体课工作室) Pay-per-class fitness studios offering six categories of instructor-led group exercise including slimming and shaping, boxing and dance, yoga and pilates, regeneration, performance enhancement, and children's potential development. Users book individual sessions via WeChat without purchasing an annual membership.
• Gymbox (健身舱) 24-hour self-service fitness pods available in outdoor container and indoor formats, equipped with treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, Smith machines, barbells, and dumbbells. Features an IoT-enabled Smart Sream System for remote control of lighting, access, and ventilation, allowing unattended operation. Patented industrial design.
• Corporate Card (企业卡) Enterprise fitness benefit program allowing companies to customize prepaid employee fitness benefits usable at both self-service Gymboxes and group training classes. Provides a 5% discount on bookings, requires a minimum top-up of RMB 5,000 with no cap, and operates under multi-year contracts (excludes private instructor and CAMP courses).
• SUPERMONKEY Card and Vouchers (代金券和储值卡) Batch purchase service offering vouchers and prepaid stored-value cards in both physical card and CDKEY code formats, suitable for corporate gifting, employee benefits, and personal bulk purchases.
• SUPERMONKEY College (超猩学院) Fitness industry content IP platform focused on building a domestic fitness industry think tank, a curriculum analysis big data platform, and a pioneering research and development system for fitness courses and training products. Functions as both internal R&D and industry-facing knowledge platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served over 1 million fitness enthusiasts since founding
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Fitness Clubs (for club authorization)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for introducing the latest international licensed fitness courses. Supermonkey continuously introduces international authorized courses through training partnerships.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• F45 Training: Global group fitness franchise offering standardized 45-minute functional training classes. Closely comparable to Supermonkey's group class studio model with differentiated proprietary content and franchise expansion.
• Orangetheory Fitness: Large global boutique fitness franchise centered on group heart-rate-based training classes. Highly comparable group-class-driven studio model with proprietary content and urban CBD locations.
• Keep: China's leading online fitness platform with both content/app and offline gym offerings. Directly competes with Supermonkey across online fitness content and physical studio formats in tier-1 Chinese cities.
• ClassPass: Global pay-per-class fitness marketplace offering flexible access to studios without annual memberships. Shares Supermonkey's core 'no annual contract' value proposition and serves similar urban fitness consumers.

Broad incumbents

• Peloton: Connected fitness leader combining proprietary equipment (bike, treadmill) with subscription content. Comparable through its IoT-enabled smart fitness equipment and digital content subscription model.
• Barry's Bootcamp: Global premium boutique fitness brand combining strength and cardio group classes. Comparable high-end group fitness studio model targeting urban professionals.
• SoulCycle: Premium indoor cycling studio brand with strong community-driven following. Comparable boutique fitness positioning targeting urban professionals with branded class experiences.
• Lululemon (Mirror / Digital Fitness): Athletic apparel leader that acquired Mirror to enter connected fitness. Comparable as a broader incumbent with adjacent fitness content/community capabilities serving similar premium urban consumers.

Regional players

• Pure Fitness: Asia's largest premium fitness chain operating across Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and other APAC markets. Comparable premium urban fitness positioning across multiple Asian cities.

Emerging players

• FightClub (健身格斗): Chinese boutique fitness chain focused on boxing and combat fitness classes in tier-1 cities. Comparable group-class-centric boutique fitness model targeting similar urban Chinese consumers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/supermonkeyfitness

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors10 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Supermonkey