Company behind ClassPass, Mindbody in $7.5B merger (TechCrunch)

Summary

TechCrunch article by Lauren Forristal reporting that Playlist, the parent company behind Booker, ClassPass, and Mindbody, has merged with EGYM, a startup known for its smart gym equipment, AI-driven workout plans, and corporate wellness marketplace Wellpass. Playlist announced on Tuesday that the transaction is complete after first disclosing the agreement in January. It says the deal values the combined company at $7.5 billion and that leadership will be shared between Playlist co-founder Fritz Lanman and EGYM CEO Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer. The article says the deal included $785 million in new investment led by Jared Kushner’s firm, Affinity Partners, as well as Vista Equity Partners, Temasek, and L Catterton.

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The company behind ClassPass and Mindbody just got a lot bigger with a $7.5B merger

The fitness industry is consolidating fast — and the latest deal is one of the biggest yet. Playlist , the parent company behind fitness brands Booker, ClassPass, and Mindbody, has officially merged with EGYM , a startup known for its smart gym equipment, AI-driven workout plans, and corporate wellness marketplace Wellpass.

Playlist announced on Tuesday that the transaction is officially complete after first disclosing the agreement in January . With everything now finalized, EGYM will operate under Playlist alongside its other brands, and leadership will be shared between Playlist co-founder Fritz Lanman and EGYM CEO Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer.

The deal values the combined company at $7.5 billion.

The merger is expected to create a fitness and wellness powerhouse. By bringing EGYM into the mix alongside B2B platforms like Booker, which supports spas and salons, and Mindbody, which offers software widely used by gyms and studios, plus the consumer app ClassPass, Playlist is stitching together multiple layers of the industry into a single system. Together, the combined company spans everything from how fitness businesses operate to how users discover and book classes, to how workouts are delivered in the gym, and even how employers offer fitness as a benefit.

The scale is particularly notable. The company says it will reach millions of users across more than 30 countries, bringing together over 40,000 businesses on Mindbody, more than 88,000 venues on ClassPass, upwards of 20,000 employer partners through EGYM Wellpass, and over 33,000 fitness locations with EGYM equipment.

It’s hardly alone in making such moves. Recent moves include MyFitnessPal acquiring Cal AI, an AI calorie counting app, and Strava buying two apps: cycling app The Breakaway and running app Runna.

EGYM itself acquired U.S.-based FitReserve in 2024.

The merger is also a shift away from Playlist’s earlier plans to go public. Back in 2024, the company was operating as Mindbody-ClassPass and was exploring a potential IPO. By 2025, it instead rebranded as Playlist , bringing its three core businesses under a single identity.

As previously announced, the deal included $785 million in new investment led by Jared Kushner’s firm, Affinity Partners, as well as Vista Equity Partners, Temasek, and L Catterton. The new funding is expected to support future AI efforts and help EGYM expand further into North America and Asia, where its presence had previously been relatively limited.

Playlist has already rolled out several AI-powered capabilities. These include Mindbody’s Messenger AI, which helps brands respond to inquiries and booking requests; ClassPass’ SmartTools, which use machine learning to determine how many spots should be allocated for each class; and EGYM Genius, which enables gyms to deliver personalized training plans that adapt to members’ goals and the equipment available at their facility.

The company declined to share details about any upcoming AI features.

Topics

Biotech & Health , classpass , egym , fitness , Mergers and Acquisitions , Startups

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Lauren Forristal

Lauren covers media, streaming, apps and platforms at TechCrunch.

You can contact or verify outreach from Lauren by emailing laurenf.techcrunch@gmail.com or via encrypted message at laurenforris22.25 on Signal.

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