Portfolio

Urban Apes GmbH

Bouldering gyms

Capital Meets Competence – The evolution of the Urban Sports Group demonstrates what can arise from this combination when the strategy is right. Within just three years, it has grown into Germany’s largest bouldering gym chain, Urban Apes, boasting 18 locations with a focus on the metropolitan regions of Berlin, Nuremberg, and Hamburg.

Challenges

The entry in 2020 was anything but straightforward. The shareholders of Urban Apes were in the process of seeking growth capital to expand their then three existing bouldering gyms with additional locations when the pandemic threw a wrench into their plans. Due to COVID-19, all gyms had to close indefinitely, with an uncertain outlook.

Providing growth capital in such a situation was a challenge that other investors shied away from. Not so for Family Trust: we recognized the opportunities for Urban Apes, embraced the challenge, and established forward-looking, collaborative entrepreneurial structures for the chain. This was the decisive step in setting the course for the future.

Investment approach

There are currently around 150 bouldering halls across Germany. The market is growing and has hardly been consolidated to date. This is where we come in. Together with the founders of Urban Apes, Family Trust is aiming to establish a chain of bouldering halls. This goal is to be achieved through growth and professionalization.

We achieve growth through acquisitions. Professionalization allows us to centralize certain areas and tasks such as marketing or the construction of climbing routes. This leads to more efficiency and greater effectiveness. In conjunction with the growing size of the company, the range of products and services on offer to customers can be expanded and our lead over smaller competitors extended.

Development since acquisition

Bouldering is booming more than ever. Climbing was an Olympic sport for the first time in 2021. Fitness-oriented target groups from young to old are practising the trend sport. For them, Urban Apes is now one of the top addresses for modern bouldering halls. Combined expertise is the key to success.

The founding team contributes its expertise in bouldering, while Family Trust provides the capital and financing know-how that was used to accelerate the acquisition of new halls. Within just two years of the takeover, the company succeeded in establishing Germany’s largest bouldering hall chain and becoming the market leader in Germany. The original three halls have grown into a group with 18 halls and an annual turnover of around 20 million euros.

Voices

About the collaboration

Working with Family Trust is more than just business - it is a partnership of equals. The exchange is not only intensive, but also honest and direct, and the personal interaction makes all the difference. At the end of the day, it's not just about finding capital, but finding the investor that really suits us - and that's exactly what we've found here.

Lars Großkurth,
Founder and Managing Director

Contact Person

Carsten Abdel Hadi Partner Contact

Linus Möllers Investment Manager Contact