Interactive Strength Inc.’s deal to acquire the connected fitness and equipment company is slated to close in early April
Interactive Strength Inc., maker of fitness equipment under Clmbr and Forme, has struck a deal to acquire German-connected fitness and equipment company Sportstech, which sells indoor fitness equipment like the sBike Lite, sWalk Treadmill and sTread Fold.
A binding transaction agreement has been signed and the deal is expected to close in early April. Sportstech serves customers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Spain.
“At Sportstech, we’re focused on a world where fitness and health are accessible to everyone and attractive to anyone,” Sportstech founder and CEO Ali Ahmad said. Ahmad founded the company in 2012 and will join the TRNR board upon closing of the deal.
“TRNR’s equipment, distribution and finance experience as well as its Nasdaq listing represent the resources our employees and customers need to grow our fitness community without sacrificing quality of experience or outcomes,” Ahmad continued. “We’re very excited to bring our mission of helping everyone achieve their fitness goals to even more people, across more markets.”
TRNR founder and CEO Trent Ward stated that the deal is a huge leap forward for both companies — one that accelerates their joint ability to serve both consumers and businesses and grow globally. Ahmad and Ward both discussed the opportunities in the health and wellness market during a fireside chat at the Connected Fitness & Health Summit.
“In Ali and Sportstech, we have the ideal partner – an experienced and successful founder of a highly complementary fitness platform who bootstrapped his way to eight figures in profitable revenue and is motivated to grow even further and faster,” Ward said. “This is a proud day for the teams from both companies and a major boost for our ability to create shareholder value.”
Last December, Interactive Strength secured exclusive distribution in Metropolitan France and French Regions with French training and equipment brand Planet Fitness SAS — a three-year agreement that will yield a minimum commitment of 162 Clmbr units for Planet Fitness SAS.
“The global health and wellness market is growing, but also fragmented,” Ward added. “There’s a significant opportunity to create shareholder value by consolidating a portfolio of quality businesses that offer a variety of equipment, training and content to different types of customers, across many markets. Sportstech is exactly that kind of business, with an experienced, sophisticated team that’s also passionate about fitness.”
Before the announcement, Interactive Strength noted that Germany is the second-largest fitness market —second only to the U.S.—and is expected to be worth an estimated $6.8 billion by 2027. In a post on its website, the company stated that international expansion is one of the key pillars of its growth strategy, highlighting that it had established a presence in France, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and the UAE in 2024.
