SPORTL, a pay-as-you-train fitness booking platform startup, has raised £250,000 in a pre-seed round backed by industry professionals. Based in London, SPORTL launched across app stores on 10th March 2026 and enables users to book classes at gyms and studios without memberships or subscriptions.
The platform is designed to address underutilised gym capacity that results in revenue losses for fitness businesses. Users can browse and book sessions at multiple gyms and studios through a single platform, allowing them to explore different workouts, studios and trainers while gyms access new audiences.
SPORTL launches with 50 London-based gym studios and fitness centres available to book on the platform after speaking with more than 300 gyms about joining. Studios available through the platform include Common Bond, Boom Cycle, Triyoga, Barrecore, Reformcore, RFRM, TrainYard, Revolt Cycling, Manor and Reformer Collective.
The investment round saw participation from notable strategic partners and investors. This includes Kevin Hewitt, former EMEA Chairman of FTI Consulting – who will also join as Chairman of the Board for SPORTL, James Hardy, former Deliveroo executive and co-founder of Bioniq, the personalised supplements company, and recruitment entrepreneur and health tech investor Jamie Hearne.
The pre-seed investment will support expansion into other UK cities and fund senior in-house hires as SPORTL builds out the platform. Lucy Gray has been appointed as Marketing Manager and Sean Sevant as Partnerships Manager. The funding will also see the roll out of new features once the initial product and offering has been established.
My co-founder Matt and I spent the last year walking the streets of London, sitting down and talking first hand with gym owners and managers to understand what is missing in the industry, and if SPORTL could be the answer. Seeing SPORTL launch today and physically opening the app is a dream come true. Our mission is to work alongside gym owners, giving them the flexibility and transparency they deserve from a booking platform. We're incredibly proud of what we've built, and we can't wait for SPORTL to become part of people's everyday routines, helping them book classes on their terms, whenever it suits them.
SPORTL is revolutionising the fitness industry, bridging a real gap in the market where spare gym capacity meets the need for spontaneous demand. The early traction has been impressive, and I'm proud to be part of what Matt and Ryan are building. This is just the beginning, and I look forward to being part of the journey ahead.
