BASIC-FIT PRESS RELEASE
Hoofddorp, 10 November 2025
BASIC-FIT COMPLETES CLEVER FIT ACQUISITION
Basic-Fit, Europe’s largest and fastest growing fitness chain today announced the successful closing of its acquisition of
Clever Fit.
With the closing of this agreement, Basic-Fit now becomes the immediate market leader in Germany with 450 clubs and
the largest franchisor in Europe, further expanding its geographic footprint by six countries - bringing its total to 12
countries - with a combined 2,150 clubs total.
A comprehensive strategy update will be shared at our Capital Markets Day on 21 April 2026.
BASIC-FIT PRESS RELEASE
Hoofddorp, 27 October 2025
BASIC-FIT ACQUIRES CLEVER FIT, ENTERING FRANCHISE MARKET AND SECURING GERMAN
MARKET LEADERSHIP
TRANSACTION HIGHLIGHTS
• Agreement for the acquisition of Clever Fit, the market leading fitness operator in the DACH region with 493 clubs in
seven countries, of which 454 franchise and 39 company owned
• With the acquisition, Basic-Fit becomes the largest fitness franchise in Europe and market leader in Germany
• Basic-Fit extends market presence from six to twelve countries
• Purchase price of €160 million in cash plus €15 million earn-out; fully financed by new bank loan
• Closing is expected before year-end; no regulatory approval is required
GROWTH STRATEGY AND OUTLOOK
• Capital-light franchise model to complement Basic-Fit’s existing growth strategy
• Explore the potential for franchising in Basic-Fit’s current growth markets under the Basic-Fit brand
• Owned club expansion reduced from 100 to 50 clubs in 2026
• Focus for 2026 optimising memberships, profitability of new and existing clubs and franchise integration
• Expect a leverage ratio of just above 2.0 times in 2026
• Guidance for 2025 remains unchanged
• Full strategy update to be presented at our Capital Markets Day on 21 April 2026
Basic-Fit announces it has reached agreement on the acquisition of Clever Fit, a leading European fitness franchise with
a strong presence in Germany, for €160 million in an all-cash transaction plus €15 million earn-out. With this acquisition,
Basic-Fit becomes the immediate market leader in Germany, operating a combined network of 450 clubs in the country.
Clever Fit has around 1 million members and is active in seven countries including, Germany (406 clubs), Austria (48
clubs), Switzerland (20 clubs), Slovenia (15 clubs), Romania (2 clubs), Croatia (1 club), and Czech Republic (1 club). The
transaction is expected to be completed before the end of 2025 and requires no regulatory approval.
With the current organic growth pace, Basic-Fit is the fastest-growing fitness chain in Europe. By expanding through
franchising, the growth model becomes even more capital-efficient, creating a European network of over 2,150 clubs. By
joining forces, both chains will significantly strengthen the fitness offering in Europe as they continue to cater to their
members’ evolving needs and remain accessible to all. Clever Fit’s members and franchisees will benefit from Basic-Fit’s
strong capabilities in real estate, marketing, equipment, and its extensive technology stack. At the same time, the
combination will further strengthen Basic-Fit’s market leadership and consolidate its position as Europe’s strongest fitness
company.
RENE MOOS, CEO BASIC-FIT
“Following a thorough process, I am pleased to announce the acquisition of Clever Fit as a transformative step in
accelerating our growth in a capital efficient manner.
This transaction marks Basic-Fit’s entry into franchising and widens our footprint to 12 European countries. With Clever Fit’s
established franchise network, Basic-Fit consolidates its position as the largest and fastest growing fitness chain in Europe,
attains immediate market leadership in Germany and becomes the largest fitness franchisor on the continent.
Basic-Fit and Clever Fit are a great strategic fit, with a scalable concept and an entrepreneurial mindset. Clever Fit has
shown strong growth figures on the back of a value-oriented concept similar to our own and today has around 1 million
members in its club network. We look forward to strengthening our platform as Europe’s largest fitness franchise and to
making fitness even more accessible to everyone.”
In 2024, Clever Fit reported an underlying EBITDA of €14.5 million. Following closing, Basic-Fit will explore opportunities to
enhance the value proposition for the current franchisees. By combining the capabilities, scale and entrepreneurial DNA of
both companies, we expect to accelerate the expansion of the franchise business rapidly. Basic-Fit is confident that the
franchisees will benefit from joining Europe’s fastest-growing fitness chain, sharing a commitment to accessibility,
innovation and growth.
Following this acquisition, Basic-Fit will also explore the potential of expanding a franchise model under the Basic-Fit brand
in our key growth markets of France, Germany, and Spain. This initiative will be pursued in addition to the continued
expansion of our owned club network, reflecting our commitment to a diversified growth strategy. We will also remain
focused on enhancing the profitability of our existing club portfolio. In light of the acquisition, we will reduce our owned
club growth this year to 86 Basic-Fit clubs. When we account for the acquired 39 owned Clever Fit, our total growth for
2025 will be 125 clubs. For 2026, we anticipate to open around 50 owned clubs. Adjusting our priorities in our capital
allocation strategy, we will also terminate our share repurchase programme after having repurchased 1.0 million shares
thus far. This balanced approach will support sustained expansion whilst we will continue to strengthen Basic-Fit’s position
as the leading pan-European fitness operator.
FINANCING
To finance the acquisition, Basic-Fit has secured €180 million in committed financing from its banking partners — ABN
AMRO, ING Bank, and Rabobank – maturing in June 2028. The financing covers the all-cash purchase price of €160 million
at closing, and a potential €15 million earn-out over the next three years.
With this strong support, we remain well financed and are confident in our ability to comfortably meet any potential
redemption requests from convertible bondholders in June 2026, whilst maintaining ample liquidity. We expect to close
the year with a leverage ratio just below 3.0x and to target a ratio just above 2.0x in 2026.
A comprehensive strategy update will be shared at our next Capital Markets Day on 21 April 2026.
