Frances Marcellin

The cruise industry in Asia is bouncing back as reimagined operations and policy changes bolster growth in the region.

A new AI-driven approach from Lancaster University could detect icebergs and floating ice with a 94% success rate.

In Stockholm, Foster + Partners, working with Marge Arkitekter, are redeveloping the area around Central Station.

Personalization reshapes Pilates.

What’s happening: German-born fitness operator RSG Group is investing a “three-digit-million sum” to modernise its low-cost gym McFIT. After piloting the rebrand – dubbed “McFit – The Original” – in Vienna and Heilbronn, it’ll apply the…

Spain’s flurry of activity continues.

Community-driven, exercisers choose from hour-long sessions across nine modalities, including yoga, dance, boxing and weightlifting. Often overlooked, the LatAm boutique scene is making global trades.

Smart Fit is scaling up. Adding 82 units, Smart Fit is planning to hit ~200 total Velocity sites in Brazil before exploring international expansion. All systems grow. Staying in growth mode, it initiated a $R450M ($80.8M) bond sale to attain working…

Early identification can prevent strokes and heart failure, making it an attractive, and achievable, feature for health wearables.

Leveraging group and solo challenges, points-weighted activity tracking, live maps and leaderboards, high engagement has translated to ~61% of users reporting health improvement. Of note, GoJoe counts the NHS, EY and Amazon as customers. Getting…

Saint Haven’s sister concept is less performance, more party. What’s happening: Australian development company GURNER Group is readying SAINT, a social wellness club for over-25s designed as a “high-end playground of health, connection and revelry”.…

England’s food is feeding a children’s health crisis. Need to know: A report from The Food Foundation exposed the deterioration in British children’s health caused by calorie-dense diets and undernutrition. Stemming from “shocking levels” of poverty,…

SAVA is going beyond glucose monitoring. A Sensor That Scales Thinking long-term, its ability to detect lactate, sodium, ketones, alcohol, cortisol and urea will multiply its markets. Greenlit for clinical trials by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare…

BFT wants to scale Scandinavia’s boutique sector. The news: The Aussie fitness brand inked a master franchise deal for Scandinavia with plans to open 40 studios in 10 years. Citing alignment between the Scandinavia mindset and BFT’s “no nonsense…

What’s happening: The Aussie fitness operator raised A$16M to support its purchase of eight unnamed health clubs in Western Australia, with immediate plans to rebrand under its flagship gym, Club Lime. Entering new territory, the WA deals are…

Urban Gym Group is upping its female-friendly options. Beyond the need for female-tailored performance training, surveys show 42% of females experience sexual harassment at the gym, rising to 83% of 16–24 year olds, with 39% of incidents in strength…

Already sold out, Toorak is an invite-only “Black Label” club, combining luxe amenities and ultra-exclusive services. Staking its territory. After spending $20M on the two new additions, Saint Haven owner Gurner Group is eyeing Sydney en route to…

Taking a root-cause approach to metabolic health via glucose response and food quality, the startup is seeking to grow its ~35K memberbase. Blood Feud To date, manufacturers Dexcom and Abbott have established a hardware duopoly, providing CGMs to…

Jumpstarting its home market, FFJ’s CEO Kiyoaki Yamabe expects the modality to “increase Japan’s fitness participation rate” and “attract a wider audience, particularly women”.

In this Q&A, you’ll hear from Valentina Milanova, CEO of Daye, a period care and gynae health startup. Milanova shares how the lack of innovation in this space drove her to develop a suite of impactful products, from CBD-infused tampons to an HPV…