Berlin-based Urban Sports Club has announced a €95 million investment round that will see the company further strengthen its employee benefits and wellness market position.
Historically, the words ‘sports club’ and ‘hr benefit’ haven’t always been the first pairing on a dance card, but that’s changing. As we saw throughout the global live-at-the-office experiment, today’s workforce expects previously unheard-of benefits.
According to 2022 research conducted by global consulting firm Gallup, 70 percent of employees would remain at their current position if the company invested in employee wellbeing. A 2020 study from Forsa showed that nearly 90 percent of employees demand that their employer support their physical and mental health.
Compounded by a shortage of skilled labour, the shift in employers running the cost/benefit calculations when it comes to employee wellness programmes becomes clear.
Partnered with over 7,000 companies ranging from SMEs to Enterprises, Urban Sports Club was founded over a decade ago and historically backed by the likes of Rocket Internet, Partech, and HV Capital. Today the company counts over 11,000 venues across seven European markets offering 50+ sports and wellness activities.
The company reports a net revenue growth of 100 percent year-over-year 2021-2022, with steady growth continuing across 2023.
Marking the company’s eighth market entry with Austrian and stocked with a €95 million investment, a membership to Urban Sports Club might just be appearing on your employee benefits list sometime soon.
Norway-headquartered Verdane led Urban Sports Club’s €95 million round with several existing investors including HV Capital, b2venture, and ProSiebenSat1 participating.
Lead image: Urban Sports Club co-founders Benjamin Roth and Moritz Kreppel (left to right). Photo: Sebastian Krawczyk.