04 Oct 2022
Centred Wellness acquires PT platform Bua Fit to create $25m company
BY Frances Marcellin
Centred Wellness – a travel and lifestyle platform connecting members with health and wellness services and products – has acquired Bua Fit, a UK marketplace providing outdoor and online fitness classes. The companies claim that the combined entity is estimated to be worth around US$25m.
London-based Bua Fit works with over 150 fitness trainers who leverage the company’s social technology to reach a 6,000-strong member network. The merger will increase their customer base and reach into more territories, starting with the USA. Centred Wellness also operates in Europe, Canada and the Caribbean in around 900 cities.
“Bua Fit’s success in the UK will be mirrored in the US over the coming weeks,” said Brian Chappon, CEO of Centred Wellness. “David has executed brilliantly and built an incredible product to support supply and demand connections in the industry. I am thrilled to have David join our team and Bua Fit is going to add tremendous value to our investors and our clients through the Centred user experience.”
Bua Fit launched in London in 2019 after raising £400,000 in pre-seed capital through Seedrs and support from Google startups and StartUp Health. The model provides fitness trainers with the opportunity to run their business through Bua Fit and scale it for £12.50 per month – with Bua Fit receiving 20 per cent commission per new client.
The Bua Fit team estimates that it has over 1m in-app engagements in response to the content. Overall, more than 12,000 transactions have been registered and 75 per cent of growth is stated to be from organic growth.
“Brian and I believe having our companies coming together is the future of the wellness and fitness industry and we wanted to move quickly on it,” said David Stapleton, CEO and Founder of Bua Fit. “This strategic acquisition makes us a powerhouse team.”
Centred Wellness’s members can use a range of services and providers through different channels, including the app, website, e-commerce and loyalty programmes. They can make tele health appointments with virtual doctors, and reserve holiday retreats, buy beauty products, workout gear and healthy snacks, with discounts or perks especially for the Centred traveller.
The fitness category comprises exercise gear, equipment (such as Technogym, Clmbr and Hyperice) and in-studio classes (including F45, Orangetheory and Barry’s). Users can book fitness classes, hotels and spa treatments while travelling or when at home, if in serviced locations.
Through its partnerships with credit cards, brands and aggregators, Chappon says Centred Wellness has access to 57m users worldwide. The acquisition of Bua Fit will add online and outdoor sessions spanning HIIT, yoga, boxing, bodyweight bootcamps, meditation, barre, trampolining and Pilates to its marketplace.
“Centred provides tailored recommendations that prioritise its members’ health and wellness during and after their journeys,” said Centred Wellness’s director Jim Lane. “This acquisition expands its offering to allow their members access to group outdoor fitness experiences.
“With Bua, Centred can now showcase an array of outdoor fitness experiences worldwide, while also providing a platform for personal trainers to accelerate their growth on a global level.”
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