Bouldering Project

What Bouldering Project does

Bouldering Project operates a chain of indoor bouldering-only climbing gyms in the United States, with 13 locations spread across 9 cities. The company was founded in Seattle and has expanded through Austin (2015), Minneapolis (2017), Austin Westgate (2021), and St. Paul (2025). Its facilities deliver short-wall bouldering without ropes or harnesses, paired with co-located fitness amenities such as yoga and strength areas, and on-site retail of climbing apparel and gear.

The core product is the bouldering experience itself: climbs are set and rotated frequently by routesetters who hold Olympic, World Cup, and US National Team credentials, producing a curriculum of weekly resets that functions as the gym's primary differentiator versus generic climbing facilities. The company layers community programming on top of the core climbing product, including youth climbing camps and seasonal programs, group and corporate event bookings, private parties, and the Boulderfest annual in-house competition with a $35,000 prize purse. Equipment brand partnerships and co-promoted events further extend the engagement layer.

The business model is multi-revenue: adult memberships priced at $95-$135 per month (with annual options of $850-$1,350), supplemented by day passes, multi-visit punch passes, retail sales, youth program fees, and group or corporate event revenue. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on local events, youth programs, social media presence, and reciprocal member access across the 13-site network. No public disclosure of revenue, funding, or corporate ownership is present in the available data.

Name

Bouldering Project

Legal name

Bouldering Project

Website

https://boulderingproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Bouldering Project operates a chain of 13 indoor bouldering-only climbing gyms across 9 US cities, serving individual climbers, youth and family participants, and group or corporate event customers through memberships, day passes, retail, and community programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indoor Climbing Gym

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Climbing & Mountaineering Gyms/Guides (Indoor, Outdoor, Via Ferrata) (THAAAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Climbing & Via Ferrata Guiding / Instruction (THAAALAH)

Keywords

• Indoor bouldering
• Climbing gym memberships
• Yoga fitness classes
• Youth climbing programs
• Climbing community events

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Monthly Recurring Memberships: Month-to-month recurring memberships offering unlimited access to climbing, yoga, fitness classes, and all gym amenities across all 13 locations. An activation fee is charged at signup. Members receive 2 free guest passes per month and 10% retail discount. Membership can be frozen for up to 3 months or cancelled anytime.
2. Annual Prepaid Memberships: Annual prepaid memberships offering unlimited access for 12 months with no activation fee, representing the best value tier. Renews annually.
3. Day Passes: Single-visit day passes providing open-to-close access to climbing, yoga, fitness classes, and all amenities. Does not include rental gear. Available at varying price points by location and age tier.
4. 10-Punch Pass: Flexible 10-visit punch passes equivalent to 8 day passes in cost, with visits useable at any time and never expiring.
5. Limited-Time Promotional Memberships: Introductory memberships (e.g., 30 Days for $49-$60) with auto-renewal at regular monthly price after promotional period; Summer Fling multi-month deals; student, teacher, first responder, and military discounted rates.
6. Access Memberships: Reduced-cost memberships (25% below base monthly recurring price) for qualifying low-income individuals, supporting the company's inclusivity value.
7. Youth and Family Memberships: Family membership tiers including primary adult, secondary adult partner, dependent young adult (14-20), and dependent youth (13 and under), with in-gym-only options for secondary adults.
8. Retail Gear Sales: On-site retail shops selling climbing shoes, BP apparel, chalk, chalk bags, crash pads, and specialty climbing products. Members receive a 10% discount.
9. Group Reservations and Private Events: Group reservations for corporate events, birthday parties, and team building. Youth programming including summer camps, after-school clubs, youth teams, and parents' night out generate additional revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bouldering Project operates a chain of indoor bouldering climbing gyms where members and day-pass visitors climb rope-free walls (13–15 ft, padded flooring) organized by a color-coded circuit system spanning V0 to V10 difficulty grades. Each gym also delivers group yoga classes, group fitness classes, youth climbing programs (camps, teams, after-school clubs, birthday parties), and ancillary amenities such as co-working mezzanines, saunas, and on-site retail gear shops. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring monthly and annual memberships, plus day passes, 10-punch passes, introductory promotional memberships, Access Memberships (low-income 25% discount), group reservations, private instruction, and Boulderfest event fees.

Product overview

Bouldering Project is a multi-location indoor rock climbing gym chain offering bouldering as its core product with integrated yoga and fitness class offerings. The company operates on a membership-based model with monthly recurring, annual prepaid, day pass, and punch pass options, plus access memberships for low-income individuals. Each gym features dedicated climbing terrain with color-coded circuit systems, yoga studios, and fitness spaces. Additional offerings include youth programs, co-working spaces, gear rentals and retail, training boards (Kilter Board, Tension Board 2), and the annual Boulderfest climbing competition. The company has 13 locations across 9 US cities including Austin, Seattle, Brooklyn, Boston, D.C., Minneapolis, St. Paul, Salt Lake City, and Tempe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Indoor Bouldering Indoor bouldering — rock climbing without ropes or harnesses on walls averaging 13–15 feet tall, with padded flooring and color-coded circuit systems for all skill levels from V0 to V10 — included with all memberships and day passes across all 13 U.S. locations.
• Yoga Classes Group yoga classes in dedicated studios at each location, included with all memberships and available as a day-pass add-on; taught by instructors for all levels and skill ranges.
• Fitness Classes Group fitness classes including kettlebells, strength training, and functional fitness held in dedicated fitness studios with all equipment provided; included with membership.
• Youth Programs Youth climbing programming across all markets including summer camps, after-school clubs, youth teams, and birthday parties — teaching resilience, problem-solving, and climbing skills to children.
• Monthly Membership Month-to-month recurring membership providing unlimited access to climbing, yoga, and fitness classes at all 13 locations, with 2 free guest passes per month, 10% retail discount, freeze up to 3 months, and easy cancellation; $50–$55 activation fee.
• Annual Membership Prepaid annual membership offering unlimited access to all 13 locations with no activation fee — the best-value tier; renews annually.
• Day Pass Single-day access pass providing open-to-close access to climbing, fitness, yoga, and all amenities; priced $18–$32 depending on location and age tier; does not include rental gear.
• 10-Visit Punch Pass Flexible 10-visit punch pass equivalent to 10 day passes for the price of 8; never expires; usable for climbing, yoga, and fitness at any Bouldering Project location.
• Access Memberships Reduced-cost membership program offering a 25% discount from the base monthly recurring price for qualifying low-income individuals; self-select in/out program with waitlist ordered by application receipt.
• Boulderfest Annual climbing festival and competition event with regional qualifiers at Minneapolis, Tempe, Boston, Salt Lake City, Austin, Brooklyn, Seattle, and D.C., culminating in a Grand Finale in St. Paul, MN with $35K total cash purse.
• Co-working Spaces Work and social spaces within select gyms (Springdale Austin, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, St. Paul) for remote work, plugging in, and hanging out between climbing sessions.
• Private and Group Events Private group reservations for corporate events, team building, and birthday parties; $21 per person with a 10-person minimum, plus youth party and Parents' Night Out events.
• Retail / Gear Shop On-site retail stores at each location selling climbing shoes, chalk, chalk bags, crash pads, BP apparel, and specialty climbing products; members receive 10% off.
• Gear Rentals Rental equipment including climbing shoes, chalk bags, and crash pads for outdoor bouldering — available at the front desk.
• Private Instruction One-on-one climbing instruction and coaching for personalized skill development, available for booking at all locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 Bouldering Project locations with full national membership reciprocity
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ScarpaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Scarpa, a leading climbing and mountaineering footwear brand, is a national sponsor of Boulderfest 2026. Sponsors receive visibility at Boulderfest events across all 9 cities, with Polaroid-style promotional content on the Boulderfest website.
• FrictionLabsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026FrictionLabs, a climbing chalk manufacturer, is a national sponsor of Boulderfest 2026, gaining brand exposure at Boulderfest events.
• La SportivaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026La Sportiva, a climbing and outdoor footwear brand, is a national sponsor of Boulderfest 2026, receiving event visibility.
• SweatpalscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sweatpals is the event registration platform for Boulderfest 2026. All Boulderfest regional events are registered through Sweatpals.com, making it a critical operational and marketing partner for the event series.
• RúngneminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Rúngne, a climbing footwear and apparel brand, is a national sponsor of Boulderfest 2026, featured in Polaroid-style event marketing.
• YETIminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026YETI, a premium outdoor gear and coolers brand, is a national sponsor of Boulderfest 2026, featured in event marketing materials.
• Organic ClimbingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Organic Climbing, a climbing equipment and accessories brand, is a national sponsor of Boulderfest 2026.
• FarwellminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Farwell is a coffee shop opening next door to the St. Paul Bouldering Project location, providing additional amenities for members.
• Pryes BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinneapolis Bouldering Project shares a complex with Pryes Brewing, one of Minneapolis' best breweries, providing post-climbing social and dining options adjacent to the gym.
• Bambino Pizza, Stargazer Cocktails & Coffee, Sa-TénminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpringdale Austin's neighboring businesses including Bambino Pizza, Stargazer Cocktails & Coffee, and Sa-Tén are adjacent to the Springdale gym, creating a complementary local ecosystem for members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Vertical World: Seattle-area climbing gym chain with the longest-running bouldering history in the Pacific Northwest. Directly comparable to BP on bouldering-led model and Seattle footprint, making it the most relevant regional competitor.

Direct peers

• Sender One Climbing: Multi-location indoor climbing chain combining bouldering and rope climbing with yoga and fitness. Comparable to BP on subscription-based business model, family/youth programming, and mixed-discipline offering in urban markets.
• Touchstone Climbing: Multi-location indoor climbing gym operator (California) combining bouldering, top-roping, and lead climbing with yoga and fitness. Comparable to BP on subscription model, family/youth programming, and metro-cluster footprint strategy.
• Movement Climbing + Fitness: Multi-location bouldering and fitness gym chain operating across multiple US cities. Closest direct competitor to Bouldering Project in category (bouldering-led), business model (membership + day pass), and target customer (urban climbers, families, fitness community).
• Earth Treks: Mid-Atlantic climbing gym chain offering bouldering, roped climbing, yoga, and fitness with a strong community orientation. Comparable to BP on multi-discipline model, family programming, and metro-level footprint.
• Brooklyn Boulders (BKB): Bouldering-focused gym chain with a similar community-driven, multi-discipline positioning (climbing + yoga + coworking + events). Directly comparable to BP on product mix and target customer, with overlapping geographic footprint in Brooklyn and other East Coast metros.
• High Point Climbing and Fitness: Regional climbing gym operator (Tennessee / Southeast US) combining bouldering and roped climbing with fitness and yoga. Comparable to BP on integrated climbing + fitness model and family/youth programming.

Broad incumbents

• Life Time Fitness: Large national multi-sport fitness club operator that has added climbing walls to many of its athletic country club locations. Comparable to BP as a broader fitness competitor encroaching on the indoor climbing category with deeper capital and pricing flexibility.
• Equinox: Premium national fitness club chain operating in the same urban markets as BP (NYC, DC, Boston, etc.). Comparable as a premium-priced fitness competitor with overlapping high-income consumer base in BP's core metros.

Others

• Planet Fitness:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/boulderingprojects
• TikToktiktok.com/@boulderingprojects
• Facebookfacebook.com/boulderingprojects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bouldering-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Bouldering Project