Corporate wellbeing platform, Wellhub – formerly Gympass – has entered into an agreement to buy European employee benefit programme provider, Urban Sports Club.
Integration of the two companies gives Wellhub a presence in 11 countries in Europe, the US and Latin America and makes it strategically positioned for accelerated growth and, innovation and better able to capitalise on market trends.
It also creates further opportunities for its wellness partners – gyms, studios and digital apps – to connect with a larger audience of corporate clients and their employees.
Wellhub – which acquired Italian platform Fitprime last autumn – says there's a growing demand for comprehensive corporate wellbeing solutions and the European market is experiencing substantial growth, driven by increasing awareness of mental health, rising healthcare costs and a shift towards hybrid work models.
“This acquisition represents a significant milestone in Wellhub’s European strategy,” said Cesar Carvalho, CEO of Wellhub. “Urban Sports Club’s deep-rooted presence in Europe, coupled with its innovative approach to employee wellness, makes it an ideal partner as we meet the surging demand for holistic corporate wellness solutions and employee benefits.”
Urban Sports Club is active in seven countries and this acquisition will give Wellhub a network of 34,500 corporate clients and 83,000 holistic wellbeing partners in 11 countries.
Urban Sports Club’s co-founders and Co-CEOs, Moritz Kreppel and Benjamin Roth will continue to play an active role in Urban Sports Club, which will remain a separate entity, and will join Wellhub’s Global Leadership Team.
Roth says: “The timing couldn’t be better, as our market is growing rapidly, driven by increasing awareness of health and wellbeing. This acquisition is a great opportunity for us to grow faster and drive the market forward with new ideas and innovations – benefiting our partners and members in particular."
Liz Terry, editor of HCM said, "The corporate wellness market is one of the hottest categories in the sector right now and this acquisition will increase competition between Wellhub and EGYM's Wellpass portfolio, which includes EGYM Hussle in the UK, FitReserve in the US and French corporate wellness provider Gymlib.
"In pursuing aggressive growth strategies, both companies are making a merger less likely with every deal that happens, due to their scale being outside monopolies and mergers legislation, so as the market consolidates, it's likely to be around these two major players.
"One of the biggest battles now will be for brand recognition, while the market gets its head around the fact that Gympass is now Wellhub and Wellpass is a competitor. Not easy to remember initially, especially as Gympass/Wellhub has been using both parts of the EGYM Wellpass name in its two iterations."
EGYM Wellpass was founded in 2010 as Qualitrain and was acquired by EGYM in 2017. Gympass was founded in 2012 and rebranded to Wellhub in 2024.
Memorise:
EGYM Wellpass
Wellhub (formerly Gympass)
MORE WELLHUB NEWS
Driven by a 48 per cent year-on-year growth in the Mind category last year, Wellhub has also announced an expanded partnership with the Headspace app to offer Headspace Coaching.
This service provides subscribers with one-on-one support from a diverse range of qualified and experienced mental health coaches to tackle a wide range of life challenges, including managing everyday stress, building healthier relationships, getting more restful sleep and improving emotional resilience.
All communication takes place via messaging within the Headspace app. Subscribers are matched with a personal coach and gete four monthly half hour sessions to be used on demand, although no more than one in any given day.
Clinically validated techniques are used, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), motivational interviewing and SMART goal setting. Coaches focus on helping individuals to set realistic goals, take steps towards creating new habits, motivate them to create meaningful change and hold them accountable.
"Our research consistently shows that workplace stress has become the primary driver of mental health challenges, with 47 per cent of employees identifying it as the main cause of their deteriorating wellbeing," says Ines Hungerbühler, PhD psychologist and mental health expert at Wellhub.
"By partnering with Headspace to offer mental health coaching, we're combining Wellhub's comprehensive wellbeing platform with Headspace's expertise in accessible mental health support. Together, we're filling a critical gap in the mental health continuum and transforming workplace wellbeing."
This service will be available on one of Wellhub's more expensive tiers, costing £134.99 a month in the UK.
