PureGym founder backs start-up personal training app as exercise goes digital

Peter Roberts has backed One other Spherical, which goals to make the type of bespoke private health plans related to fitness center exercises extra accessible and obtainable wherever. He can even be a part of its board.

One other Spherical was arrange by the previous skilled Blended Martial Arts fighter Max Cotton in 2018 to liberate private coaching from the constraints of the fitness center. The assist from Roberts — who made his identify taking up the established health trade with a low-cost chain which grew into one of many UK’s largest — comes after the trade took a heavy blow from Covid lockdowns. PureGym misplaced 12% of its members in 2020, to 1.5 million, and described its losses for that yr as “frankly terrible” earlier than recovering in 2021.

“Now’s the proper time for One other Spherical to disrupt how private coaching has historically been offered,” mentioned Roberts, who was with Pure Fitness center between 2008 and 2015 earlier than it was offered to non-public fairness for £600 million in 2017.

“Max’s background and perspective mixed with the app’s member advocacy impressed me and I’m excited to be on the journey with them to construct and prepared the ground in a brand new digital health class,” he added.

One other Spherical will use the proceeds from its capital elevating to extend the variety of coaches on its books because it prepares to enter the company market subsequent yr, as the web health market grows in step with the recognition of hybrid working patterns.

Max Cotton mentioned: “The pandemic confirmed us large private features once we embrace distant companies. we’re decreasing the time it takes to train and making it extra handy to put money into your well being.”

One other Spherical makes use of its personal proprietary synthetic intelligence to assist customers attain their targets through in-app coaching classes, utilizing movies and personalised guides, in addition to providing assist from coaches.