LifeFit Group

What LifeFit Group does

LifeFit Group is a Frankfurt am Main-based fitness and health platform founded in 2019 that consolidates multiple fitness brands under a single corporate roof in Germany and Austria. As of early 2026 the group operates 230+ clubs serving more than 700,000 members with a workforce of 2,500+ employees, executing a rollup strategy across premium, mid-market, and boutique fitness segments. Its flagship is Fitness First — described by the company as the best-known and largest fitness brand in Germany — split into a premium BLACK tier and a value-oriented RED tier with modular pricing. The portfolio also includes boutique HIIT operator Barry's Bootcamp (Frankfurt and Berlin) and master-franchise agreements with Xponential Fitness for Club Pilates and YogaSix, supplemented by a long tail of acquired and rebranded regional chains (FIT/One, In Shape, FitnessLOFT, smile X, Elbgym, SportsUp, Buena Vista, Just Fit, Elixia Berlin).

The core operating technology is the Fitness First app, used for member engagement, class booking, and digital integration across the network; no proprietary AI, API, or SDK capabilities are disclosed, and integrations and ai_modalities are empty in the data. Distribution is entirely through owned-and-operated physical clubs and licensed franchise studios, supported by brand-level organic social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube) and press communications rather than performance marketing or digital channels at scale. The company is ISO 50001 certified for energy management.

LifeFit generates revenue primarily through recurring gym membership subscriptions across its brand tiers, with secondary revenue from personal training, group classes, and wellness amenities. Since September 2024 the company has been wholly owned by funds managed by Waterland Private Equity Investments, which acquired it via Light AcquiCo GmbH and financed the transaction with EUR 140M of senior secured bonds. Post-acquisition, the company has aggressively tapped debt markets — reaching EUR 230M of outstanding bonds by March 2025 — to fund an accelerated buy-and-build program, including the largest transaction in company history (FIT/One Group, April 2025) and additional tuck-ins such as Just Fit (March 2026) and Elixia Berlin (December 2025). The stated strategic goal is to surpass 250 club locations by 2028.

Name

LifeFit Group

Legal name

LifeFit Group MidCo GmbH

Website

https://lifefit-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

LifeFit Group is a Frankfurt-based multi-brand fitness and health platform operating 230+ clubs across Germany and Austria, serving 700,000+ members through Fitness First, Barry's Bootcamp, Club Pilates, and YogaSix under an aggressive buy-and-build consolidation strategy backed by Waterland Private Equity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fitness Center Operations

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Private 1:1 Yoga/Pilates & Small-Group Sessions (HSADACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Group Fitness, Personal Training & Wellness Coaching (EDALAIAE)

Keywords

• Fitness club operations
• Boutique fitness studios
• Gym membership subscriptions
• Fitness brand portfolio
• Health club management

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Gym Membership Subscriptions: LifeFit Group generates revenue primarily through recurring membership subscriptions at its fitness clubs. Members pay recurring fees for access to fitness facilities, group classes, wellness areas, and related services across Fitness First BLACK (premium), Fitness First RED (mid-market), and boutique concepts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LifeFit Group operates a multi-brand fitness and health platform in Germany and Austria, offering recurring gym memberships, group classes, personal training, and wellness services through owned and franchised brands including Fitness First (BLACK premium and RED value tiers), Barry's Bootcamp (HIIT boutique studios in Frankfurt and Berlin), Club Pilates (reformer Pilates franchise), and YogaSix (boutique yoga franchise). The group pursues a buy-and-build strategy, acquiring and rebranding regional fitness chains to expand its footprint toward 250+ clubs. The portfolio currently spans more than 200 fitness clubs serving over 700,000 members across Germany and Austria.

Product overview

LifeFit Group is a multi-brand fitness and health platform operating as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company operates multiple fitness brands across different market segments: the flagship Fitness First brand (with premium Fitness First BLACK and value-oriented Fitness First RED sub-brands), the boutique HIIT concept Barry's Bootcamp, and franchise partnerships with Xponential Fitness including Club Pilates and YogaSix. The group has pursued an aggressive buy-and-build growth strategy, acquiring and integrating numerous regional fitness chains including FIT/One, In Shape, FitnessLOFT, smile X, Elbgym, SportsUp, Buena Vista, Just Fit, and Elixia Berlin. The portfolio now spans more than 230 clubs serving over 700,000 members across Germany and Austria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fitness First BLACK: Premium gym concept offering upscale benefits and services with comprehensive fitness and wellness experience.
• Fitness First RED
• Barry's Bootcamp

Products and services

• Fitness First Leading gym chain brand of LifeFit Group operating more than 200 clubs across Germany and Austria, offering comprehensive fitness and wellness experiences including innovative training concepts, wellness areas, and swimming pools for individual members.
• Fitness First BLACK Premium tier of Fitness First offering upscale training and wellness services with enhanced amenities, comprehensive fitness and wellness experiences, and a personalized premium environment for individual members.
• Fitness First RED Value-oriented gym concept with a modular price structure providing accessible fitness options for a wide range of customers, offering special workout space concepts at appealing price points for individual members.
• Barry's Bootcamp Pioneer of indoor high-intensity interval training (HIIT) offering signature red room, treadmill-based workout classes. Owned studios operated in Frankfurt and Berlin under LifeFit Group for individual fitness consumers.
• Club Pilates Reformer Pilates boutique fitness concept from the USA, operated by LifeFit Group as master franchisee in Germany, with locations including Frankfurt-Bornheim, Königstein im Taunus, Hamburg, and Kaiserslautern serving individual boutique fitness consumers.
• YogaSix Modern boutique yoga franchise brand making yoga accessible to beginners and experienced practitioners through a multi-sensory yoga experience, operated by LifeFit Group as master franchisee in Germany.
• SportsUp Premium fitness club in Wiesbaden with over 2,000 square meters of training area and 4,000+ members, acquired in January 2025 and rebranded under the Fitness First BLACK premium tier for individual premium fitness consumers.
• FIT/One Fitness studio brand acquired through merger in 2025, operating studios in Germany and Austria under FIT/One and moreFit brands, serving individual value and mid-market fitness consumers.
• In Shape Fitness chain acquired in 2022, operating clubs in the Baden-Wuerttemberg region including Bad Boll, Esslingen, Göppingen, Ostalb, Süßen, and sports club facilities for individual members.
• FitnessLOFT Fitness studio brand acquired in 2022, with studios in Braunschweig, Dresden, and Harburg serving individual regional fitness consumers.
• Just Fit Fitness studio chain with 21 studios in the Cologne metropolitan area acquired by LifeFit Group in 2026, serving individual regional fitness consumers.
• Elixia Berlin Premium fitness clubs in Berlin acquired in December 2025, rebranded under the Fitness First BLACK name and serving individual premium fitness consumers in the Berlin market.
• Buena Vista Fitnessclub Leading regional fitness provider in Ostwestfalen-Lippe (North Rhine-Westphalia) with five fitness clubs and nearly 10,000 members, acquired in October 2024 and serving individual regional fitness consumers.
• Elbgym Exclusive Hamburg-based performance fitness provider known for intense training and strong community focus, part of the LifeFit Group portfolio and serving individual performance-oriented fitness consumers.
• smile X High-value-low-price segment fitness brand with a dedicated training area concept for a broad range of customer groups, primarily in Southwest Germany, serving individual value-conscious fitness consumers.

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Xponential FitnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLifeFit Group holds master franchise agreements with Xponential Fitness, the largest curator of boutique fitness brands globally, for Club Pilates and YogaSix concepts in Germany. LifeFit Group develops and operates these boutique franchise studios, expanding Xponential's brand portfolio in the European market through a mutually beneficial partnership.
• Nasdaq StockholmminorOthersLifeFit Group MidCo GmbH listed its senior secured bonds on Nasdaq Stockholm's corporate bond list. The company issued bonds of EUR 230 million total nominal amount, admitted for trading on the Swedish exchange.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RSG Group (McFit parent): Germany's largest fitness operator, parent of McFit, John Reed, and High5 — the most direct competitor to LifeFit's multi-brand strategy across premium, value, and boutique segments in Germany and Austria.
• Basic-Fit: Europe's largest low-cost fitness operator with 1,500+ clubs across 6 countries. Comparable in membership-based recurring revenue model and multi-country footprint, competing for value-conscious consumers in DACH.
• clever fit: German discount gym chain with 500+ studios across Germany, Austria, and neighboring markets. Directly competes with Fitness First RED on price-sensitive members and pursues similar franchise-driven expansion.
• PureGym: UK-based low-cost gym operator with 600+ clubs, expanding into mainland Europe. Comparable membership subscription model and target demographic; a relevant peer for benchmark on unit economics and member growth.
• David Lloyd Leisure: Premium family-oriented health club operator in Europe with 130+ clubs. Directly comparable to Fitness First BLACK in premium positioning, family/wellness amenities, and high-touch member services.
• Fitness First UK: The original UK parent of the Fitness First brand that LifeFit operates in Germany. Same brand identity but separate ownership; useful peer for benchmarking brand-led premium fitness unit economics.
• Kieser Training: Germany-based strength-focused fitness chain with 150+ studios. Competes with Fitness First BLACK for premium, training-oriented members; comparable in pricing tier and German/Austrian presence.
• The Gym Group: UK-listed low-cost gym operator with 240+ sites, similar in scale and growth profile to LifeFit. Comparable business model (membership subscriptions) and comparable unit economics benchmarking.
• JD Gyms: UK value fitness chain operating under JD Sports. Competes with Fitness First RED in low-cost positioning and pursues rapid multi-site rollout in mature fitness markets — a useful comparable for LifeFit's value-segment growth.

Emerging players

• Xponential Fitness: US-listed boutique fitness franchisor of Club Pilates, YogaSix, and other brands. Strategic partner to LifeFit in Germany and a comparable operator in multi-brand boutique fitness platform consolidation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/barrysbootcamp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FitnessFirstGER
• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/FitnessFirstGER
• Instagraminstagram.com/fitnessfirstger

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about LifeFit Group