SURFACE

What SURFACE does

Surface Coach (legal entity RS CONSEILS & DEVELOPPEMENT, SIRET 82947650600029) is a French premium personal-coaching network founded by Stéphane Robinet, with a method proven since 2013 and the first studio opened in Paris 16 in 2016. The company operates a hybrid model combining company-owned and franchise-operated private coaching studios across France — currently 14+ locations in Paris (4 studios), Nice, Toulon, Hyères, Bourg-en-Bresse, Sanary-sur-Mer, Dijon, Strasbourg, Rennes, Vannes, and Plessis-Robinson — alongside a corporate on-site coaching stream and the Surface Training Academy, a Qualiopi-certified vocational school offering BPJEPS, CQP IF, Pilates, Mental Preparation, and Nutrition certifications registered with France Compétences.

The core service is one-on-one individualized coaching delivered in private, high-end studios (~200 sqm) by former elite athletes and qualified coaches, supported by a Connected Coaching Suite comprising wearable heart rate bracelets, InBody body composition scales, tablets for data recording, and real-time performance dashboards used to inform monthly impedancemetry-based program adjustments. Coaches are sourced and continuously upskilled via the internal Surface Training Academy, which functions as both a talent pipeline and a franchisee recruitment engine — multiple franchisees (e.g., Nice, Hyères, Strasbourg, Paris 17) obtained their diplomas through the academy before opening studios.

Revenue is generated from four streams: (1) recurring individual coaching subscriptions (Paris pricing 300-840 EUR/month across 1-3 sessions/week tiers; regional studios priced lower at 38-46 EUR/session); (2) small-group training sessions (~25-29 EUR/session); (3) corporate B2B contracts for on-site wellness and team-building; and (4) academy tuition (~1,960 EUR per certification + 50 EUR registration, fundable via CPF/OPCO/FIFPL/AGEFICE), plus franchise entry fees and ongoing royalties from the six franchisees that have completed the full training-to-opening journey. Marketing relies on SEO, organic social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn), earned media (France Bleu, TF1, France TV, AC Franchise), FITEX trade show presence, and referral driven by a 4.9/5 Google rating across 350 reviews. Key supply and brand alliances include BH Fitness (exclusive equipment), Exo Medical (recovery equipment), Universcent (bespoke studio fragrance), Mercedes BYmyCAR (exclusive partnership since 2024), and football manager Hervé Renard as brand ambassador.

Name

SURFACE

Legal name

RS CONSEILS & DEVELOPPEMENT

Website

https://surface-coach.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Surface Coach is a French premium private-coaching network operating 14+ franchise studios nationwide, delivering one-on-one personalized fitness programs for affluent individual consumers and corporate clients, and running the Surface Training Academy for professional coach certifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Fitness Coaching

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAJAE

Sport-Specific Private Coaching & Instruction (1:1, Small Group)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Camps, Academies & Training Centers

SECONDARYHSADAGAL

Corporate/Workplace Wellness Coaching

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Health Coaching & Lifestyle Wellness

SECONDARYHSADAAAA

General Personal Training (In-Person & Virtual)

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Personal Training (In-Person & Virtual)

Keywords

• Personal fitness coaching
• Private coaching studios
• Corporate wellness programs
• Sports coach certification
• Fitness franchise network

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Coaching Sessions: Surface Coach generates revenue from individual and small-group coaching sessions sold via subscription packages (weekly coaching sessions). Customers purchase monthly coaching bundles (1, 2, or 3 sessions per week) at per-session rates.
2. Corporate Coaching Contracts: B2B contracts with companies for on-site coaching sessions, team building events, and employee wellness programs, invoiced per program or contract.
3. Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchisees who open Surface Coach studios, including initial entry rights and ongoing franchise support.
4. Professional Training Academy: Surface Training Academy generates revenue from professional certification courses (BPJEPS, CQP IF, Pilates, Nutrition, Mental Preparation) sold to aspiring fitness professionals. Courses are priced at ~1,960 EUR plus 50 EUR registration fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Surface Coach operates a French network of private, premium studios delivering personalized one-on-one fitness coaching rather than open-gym access. Beyond consumer coaching, it runs a corporate wellness arm that sends coaches on-site to companies and a Surface Training Academy offering professional certifications (BPJEPS, CQP IF, Pilates, Mental Preparation, Nutrition). The franchise program (Devenir Franchisé) licenses the studio concept to entrepreneurs for national rollout.

Product overview

Surface Coach is a network of premium private coaching studios specializing in one-on-one individual coaching. The core offering consists of individual coaching sessions (Coaching Individuel) and corporate wellness programs (Coaching en Entreprise), delivered in private studios equipped with high-end fitness equipment and recovery tools. The Surface Training Academy provides professional coach certification programs (BPJEPS, CQP IF, Pilates, Mental Preparation). The franchise model (Surface Coach Franchise) enables entrepreneurs to open branded studios. All services emphasize personalized attention, measurable results in 3 months, and premium high-end facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Surface Training Academy: Training academy providing certifications for sports coaches including BPJEPS, CQP Instructor Fitness, Pilates, Nutrition, and Mental Preparation

Products and services

• Coaching Individuel (Individual Coaching)

Quantifiable outcome

• 67% abandonment rate in traditional gyms within 3 months (Ipsos Sport & Bien-être 2023)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mercedes BYmyCARminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Exclusive partnership between Mercedes BYmyCAR (France's leading automotive distribution group, 21+ brands) and Surface Coach. The partnership offers exclusive experiences to Mercedes BYmyCAR clients throughout the year, sharing values of performance and self-transcendence. BYmyCAR collaborated on the October Rose pink coach uniforms.
• BH FitnesscoreOthersBH Fitness is the exclusive equipment partner for all Surface Coach studios. The global fitness equipment leader supplies high-quality strength and cardio machines to every studio location.
• Exo MedicalcoreOthersExo Medical supplies recovery equipment (pressotherapy boots, massage pistols, cryogenic gels) to all Surface Coach studios, enabling comprehensive athlete-level recovery protocols for members.
• UniverscentminorOthersUniverscent, a Parisian perfumer, created a bespoke fragrance exclusively for Surface Coach studios, reinforcing the brand's sensory identity and creating a dynamic, calming, and engaging atmosphere for members and coaches.
• Hervé RenardminorOthersFootball coach and former France national team manager Hervé Renard serves as a brand ambassador for Surface Coach, aligning his values of courage, perseverance, self-transcendence, and rigor with the brand's positioning.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Elancia: French personal-coaching franchise operating private studios across France with subscription-based 1-on-1 coaching — the closest structural analogue to Surface Coach's franchise network and pricing model.
• L'Orange Bleue: Established French fitness franchise offering coached training programs across a national studio network; competes for the same coach-led, results-oriented consumer segment as Surface Coach.
• Club Pilates: Fast-growing international Pilates franchise with small-group reformer sessions; directly comparable to Surface Coach's new Pilates Matwork certification and adjacent studio offering.

Broad incumbents

• Equinox: Global premium fitness club brand with luxury positioning, elite trainers and high-touch personal training — the international benchmark Surface Coach aspires to in the French premium segment.
• Keep Cool: French low-cost fitness chain with hundreds of locations; serves the same geographic French mass-market consumer that Surface Coach targets at the premium end.
• Barry's Bootcamp: Globally recognized premium boutique fitness concept built around coached, results-driven sessions in high-end studios — comparable consumer and pricing tier to Surface Coach's private studio model.
• Freemotion Fitness / Freemotion Training: European personal-training and small-group coaching provider overlapping the coached, non-membership-gym consumer that Surface Coach serves; relevant for equipment and methodology benchmarking.
• Basic-Fit: Europe's largest low-cost gym operator with thousands of clubs; represents the commoditized value end of the market against which Surface Coach's premium positioning must justify its price premium.

Regional players

• Neoness: French urban fitness club chain historically focused on Paris and major French metros — a regional incumbent competing for the same urban fitness consumer Surface Coach serves.
• Wellness Sport Café: French premium fitness and wellness operator combining coached training with lifestyle amenities — comparable positioning tier and geographic market to Surface Coach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@surfacecoaching2249
• Facebookfacebook.com/Surfacegroupe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/besttrainingparis
• Instagraminstagram.com/surface_groupe

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 SURFACE