Squaring the circle with fitness technology platform FITR

“I’m the type of person who likes to keep moving forward – I don’t look back. I just want to know how we can put our foot down and really drive forward”.

Leon Cassidy is full of energy and ideas, a tech entrepreneur whose platform FITR is used worldwide by fitness coaches to deliver online training programmes to clients.

With the spark of an idea grown from his love of CrossFit and desire to create a like-minded community to share training tips and programmes, FITR – launched in 2019 – has grown into a global platform with hundreds of thousands of users each week.

And his ambition to make FITR a world-leading platform for fitness trainers has just received a significant boost.

Late last year, FITR secured £1.5 million funding from private equity and venture capital firm Maven Capital Partners.

For Leon, the deal is more than a financial milestone, it’s a personal one, bringing him full circle back to his early academic and career roots in Newcastle.

He says: “I began my professional life here, so to come back and work with Maven on this next stage is incredible.

“From the first conversation, their enthusiasm was clear.

“They understood what we’re building and the potential of the market.”

The investment process was led by Michael Vassallo, partner at Maven’s North East offices in Newcastle and Durham, and supported by investment manager Rebecca Minchella, who worked closely with Leon throughout.

Leon says: “Both Michael and Rebecca were fantastic.

“They were positive from the outset and really understood what we’re trying to achieve.

“Their support and insight will be invaluable as we grow.”

FITR was born from Leon’s passion for fitness and his entrepreneurial instincts.

Growing up in Cambridge, he was inspired by his tech entrepreneur father, who taught him the importance of understanding the numbers behind any business.

That advice led Leon to Durham University and then into accountancy, qualifying with KPMG in Newcastle before moving into corporate finance at UNW, spending three years working in the shadows of St James’ Park.

He says: “Working in auditing at KPMG gave me a good grounding in the profession, and I loved the experience at UNW.

“I learned so much, but I always knew I wanted to create something of my own.”

Around that time, Leon discovered CrossFit.

He says: “I fell in love with it.

“I wanted to find out as much as I could, but Instagram was still basic then – there was no real community.

“That was the seed of the idea that would become FITR; how could I create a platform for coaches and clients to connect?”

The first version of FITR, though, didn’t go as planned.

“We launched, but it just didn’t work”, admits Leon.

However, a turning point came during a conversation with a Ukrainian developer, who advised him to scrap everything and start again.

Leon says: “It was brutal – there were lots of tears shed that day, I had put everything I had into that first version of the app.

“But it was the best decision I ever made for the business.

“We could start with a blank piece of paper and not try to force square pegs into round holes anymore.”

The relaunched FITR had a new focus, adopting a store front approach where coaches could package training programmes like products: easy to buy and easy to use, with a fully automated payment and client management system behind the scenes.

The app was further developed after Leon connected with Steven Fawcett, a high-profile UK CrossFit Games athlete, who became a key partner in shaping the platform.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leon says: “Suddenly, every coach needed an online solution.

“I think we were one of the few businesses in the country that was in the right place at the right time.”

The pandemic accelerated adoption of online training and changed perceptions in the community: online coaching was no longer a compromise but a complement to in-person training.

FITR quickly grew beyond its CrossFit roots, attracting personal trainers, swimming coaches, gym chains and even sports brands.

High-profile collaborations, including an app powered by FITR for CrossFit legend Matt O’Keefe – “the Messi or Ronaldo of the CrossFit world,” says Leon – cemented its reputation.

Today, the company employs 16 staff, supported by its long-standing Ukrainian app development team.

Leon says: “Everything we’ve earned has gone back into the product.

“And with Maven’s backing, we can accelerate development, bring in a senior leadership team at HQ and invest in marketing to reach more coaches globally.”

He adds: “When we first started out, people thought online training was basically just on-demand videos.

“It’s not. It’s about creating accountability.

“I don’t need one-to-one with a trainer, but still want to know I’m doing it properly each time, that there’s an ongoing structure to my training and I’m building on it day by day, rather than doing something random and not progressing.”

Operating in a global digital health coaching industry tipped to reach $13.8 billion this year,

Leon says his team has built a platform with significant scalability.

He uses his accountancy and corporate finance background to make sure the business is on a secure footing with prudent projections, and was gratified when an independent report prepared for Maven confirmed his plans were on the right track.

For Leon, the focus is firmly on the future.

He says: “I’m the platform’s biggest critic – it’s never perfect. But that’s what drives us.

“This investment gives us the freedom to keep improving, to keep acquiring coaches and the expert support from Maven to do it sustainably.

“Coaches now see online and in-person training as complementary.

“Our job is to make the online side as simple and effective as possible.

“How do we do more, to build on what we have?

“This investment is the start of that journey.”

 

FITR

www.coachwithfitr.com

LinkedIn: FITR

Maven Capital Partners

For more information about Maven and its portfolio of business support, visit www.mavencp.com.

The £660 million Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II covers the North of England and provides loans from £25,000 to £2 million, as well as equity investment up to £5 million, to help a range of small and medium-sized businesses start up, scale up and stay ahead.

The Finance Durham Fund is part of Business Durham’s strategy to deliver economic growth across County Durham. It provides flexible equity, debt or mezzanine funding packages from £150,000 to £2 million for early-stage and established businesses, investing across all sectors.

LinkedIn: Maven Capital Partners