Glasgow-based wellbeing group The Original Fit Factory cheers global scale provided by run of acquisitions

A Glasgow-headquartered wellbeing-focused firm is expecting to see 2022/23 revenues exceed $100 million (£81m) after inking a run of acquisitions worth a collective $137m and linked to celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, while it is also set to expand in the Middle East.

The Original Fit Factory was founded in 2016 by fitness industry veteran David Weir, with two core services, namely workout program specialist TV.FIT Productions, and global fitness and wellbeing community app Truconnect, which it said has since launch enjoyed growth of nearly 800 per cent and was recently named by Deloitte as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the UK.

Initially, Truconnect entered 71 countries with two “mega deals”, including a global insurance company and an Indian outfit worth £7.5m and £30m respectively, and the business has since expanded into an ecosystem of brands under The Original Fit Factory parent group.

The latter has now completed the acquisitions over the last year of eight international wellbeing and lifestyle companies, saying this will help it provide “seamless access to all components of wellbeing, empowering consumers to live healthier lifestyles on their own terms”.

Among the acquired assets are global end-to-end ecommerce company Wolfson Brands focused on sports nutrition and wellness; nutrition and wellness brand Smart Protein; holistic employee wellbeing platform Elf at Work that was founded by Dame Kelly Holmes; active experiential and fun run provider Cool Events; and US-based fitness and yoga studio franchise TruFusion. Completing the list are sustainable fitness apparel brand Niyama Sol in which Jennifer Lopez was a founding investor, remote events platform Virtual Run, and military fitness program Battle Ready 360 curated by SAS: Who Dares Wins duo Jason Fox & Ollie Ollerton and now integrated into the Truconnect app.

Pierre van Niekerk, chief financial officer at the Glasgow-based parent group, said: “The recent $137m acquisition of these brands will help The Original Fit Factory scale at speed, elevating it to be recognised as a leading global wellness brand. These investments will not only allow us to ensure we have an expanse of wellbeing offerings for customers across the world but will also allow us to focus on driving profitability.”

The group’s chief executive Mr Weir said: “It was the realisation that the fitness and wellness community was strong but splintered that originally inspired me to start the business, and since then the vision has always been to change that through the provision of synergistic products and services with ‘access for all’ at their core. The culmination of these acquisitions will be bolstered by the performance driving engine from Wolfson Brands’ Innovation Lab. We want to elevate the wellbeing journey for everyone and so have thought holistically in making these acquisitions, to ensure each business is aligned with our purpose and values, as part of our vision to become the most loved and accessible wellbeing company on earth.” Group chairman Jonathan Miller – a former AOL chief executive – added: “It’s a really exciting new chapter for the business in building a community that’s more accessible and innovative than ever before.”

The Original Fit Factory added that as part of its continued growth strategy, is set to expand its presence in the Middle East in the first quarter of 2023, with the launch of its first non-US based Cool Events programme in Dubai.