Apax Digital Fund invests in ClassPass
The Apax Digital Fund (“ADF”) has today announced an investment in ClassPass, a leading global fitness and wellness digital marketplace. ADF co-led the $285m Series E investment round with funding to be used to continue rapidly scaling its international expansion and further development in corporate subscriptions.
Launched in 2013, ClassPass connects paying subscribers with boutique studios, gyms and wellness providers. Subscribers benefit from a wide variety of fitness options, many of which are “in demand” classes, while providers benefit from being able to sell excess capacity. The opportunity is to back a rapidly-growing and well-positioned business with a strong management team to accelerate growth.
AGA, whose shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange, provides investors with access to the investment expertise of Apax Partners through its investments in a diversified portfolio of private equity funds advised by Apax Partners as well as derived investments in debt and equity. In June 2017, AGA made a commitment of $50m to the Apax Digital Fund.
ClassPass Raises $285 Million to Accelerate International Growth and Scale Corporate Program
L Catterton and the Apax Digital Fund Lead Series E Round
NEW YORK, NY – January 8, 2019 – ClassPass, the leading global fitness and wellness marketplace, today announced the close of a $285 million Series E investment. The round, which was led by L Catterton and Apax Digital, with additional participation by existing investor Temasek, follows the successful expansion by ClassPass into 28 countries and the signing of more than 1,000 leading employers into its corporate wellness program.
Founded in 2013, ClassPass pioneered the modern-day fitness and wellness marketplace. Today, ClassPass partners with more than 30,000 boutique studios, gyms and wellness providers, offering members access to the largest global network of wellness-inspired experiences. The investment will enable ClassPass, which now has over 650 employees across five continents, to continue rapidly scaling its proprietary reservation and booking technology across the globe. ClassPass’s superior model and technology have made it the marketplace of choice for providers who leverage ClassPass’ advanced machine learning capabilities to maximize their revenue and optimize utilization.
“We are motivated by the impact we’ve had on members and partners, including 100 million hours of workouts that have already been booked. This investment is a significant milestone that will further our mission to help people stay active and spend their time meaningfully,” says Founder and Executive Chairman Payal Kadakia.
As part of the investment, Marc Magliacano, Managing Partner at L Catterton’s Flagship Fund, and Daniel O’Keefe, Managing Partner at Apax Digital, will join the ClassPass Board of Directors.
“This fundraise is a reflection of our proven and sustained success in the U.S. and our rapid adoption internationally. In 18 months, we’ve scaled from 4 to 28 countries. Even in our recently launched European markets, our partners consistently call us their #1 driver of new customer reservations,” said Fritz Lanman, ClassPass CEO. “Our goal is to be the brand of choice and clear leader in every country we enter. This investment will allow us to expand more rapidly within existing geographies, add more countries to our network, and scale our corporate program globally. Additionally, I am thrilled to welcome two new board members with incredible domain expertise in digital subscription businesses and the fitness industry more broadly.”
L Catterton has deep experience working with leading fitness brands, including tech-enabled brands such as Peloton, Hydrow, and Tonal, as well as studio and fitness club brands, including Xponential Fitness, Equinox Holdings, Pure Barre, CorePower Yoga, Will’s Gyms (China), and BodyTech (Latin America). Apax has significant experience helping digital marketplace and consumer subscription businesses scale globally.
“As an investor in a number of highly respected studio and fitness club brands, we have seen firsthand how ClassPass providers and members mutually benefit from the ClassPass relationship,” said Mr. Magliacano. “ClassPass has continuously evolved its model to meet the changing needs of both partners and users. The ClassPass credits model, when combined with its A.I. tools, allows studios significant flexibility in monetizing their excess inventory and generates more revenue for studios than any other aggregator. We are confident that ClassPass is poised to grow into one of the most prominent wellness brands of the new decade and we couldn’t be more excited to continue to partner with Fritz and his team.”
“Apax has a long history of backing leading global marketplace businesses, and ClassPass is the tenth such investment to date. We’ve known the company since its early days and have been continually impressed by its global brand, attractive customer and studio value propositions, and history of explosive growth,” said Mr. O’Keefe. “We are excited to leverage the Apax global footprint to help ClassPass continue to accelerate its international traction.”
Contact details
Investor enquiries
Sarah Page
IR Manager – AGA
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7666 6573
Email: sarah.page@apax.com
Media enquiries
Andrew Kenny
Head of Communications
Telephone:+44 (0) 20 7872 6371
Email: andrew.kenny@apax.com
About Apax Global Alpha Limited
AGA is a Guernsey registered closed-ended collective investment scheme incorporated as a non-cellular company that listed on the London Stock Exchange on 15 June 2015. It is regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.
AGA’s objective is to provide shareholders with capital appreciation from its investment portfolio and regular dividends. The Company is targeting an annualised Total Return, across economic cycles, of 12-15% (net of fees and expenses) including a dividend yield of 5% of Net Asset Value.
The investment policy of the Company is to make Private Equity investments in Apax Funds, and Derived Investments which are investments in equities and debt derived from the insights gained via Apax Partners’ Private Equity activities. The Company’s portfolio is expected to be allocated in approximately equal proportions between Private Equity and Derived Investments, although the investment mix will fluctuate over time due to market conditions, investment opportunities, cash flow requirements, the dividend policy and other factors. Further information regarding the Company and its publications are available on the Company’s website at www.apaxglobalalpha.com.
About Apax Partners LLP
Apax Partners is a leading global private equity advisory firm. Over its more than 40-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of c.€40 billion. Funds advised by Apax Partners invest in companies across four global sectors of Tech & Telco, Services, Healthcare and Consumer. These funds provide long_term equity financing to build and strengthen world_class companies. For further information about Apax Partners, please visit www.apax.com.
Apax Partners is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.