Jared Kushner’s Affinity Makes First European Investment

Celia Bergin, Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 25: (AFP OUT) White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner listens as U.S. President Donald Trump holds a bi-lateral meeting with Saad Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon, in the Oval Office at the White House on July 25, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Zach Gibson - Pool/Getty Images) , Photographer: Zach Gibson/Pool/Getty Images

(Bloomberg) -- Munich-based fitness technology company EGYM has become the first European company to receive investment from Affinity Partners, the private equity firm founded by Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former adviser, Jared Kushner.

Affinity was the primary backer in the company’s $225 million Series F funding round, EGYM’s Chief Executive Officer Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Wednesday. The investment will help EGYM, which makes smart gym equipment and software, prepare for an initial public offering, he added.

Kushner established the Miami-based firm in 2021, with employees from both his father-in-law’s political office and private equity veterans from Wall Street. Bloomberg reported that Affinity raised more than $3 billion of investment as of January 2022, according to people familiar with the matter.

“We don’t often come across companies with revenues in the triple-digit millions that are close to doubling in size year-over-year,” said Asad Naqvi, a partner at Affinity Partners. “In EGYM, we are backing an incredible team with a long track record of execution and success, and we look forward to supporting the company on its path to an IPO.”

EGYM, which said it made $130 million in revenue in 2022, will use the funds for research and development, to expand into more gyms and to increase corporate subscriptions to its network of partner sports and wellness facilities.

“Our tailwind is this idea we need healthier, more productive employees and we want to save on health-care costs with preventative measures,” Roesch-Schlanderer said.

EGYM will focus on gym-based fitness services and won’t attempt to offer at-home equipment like competitors Tonal Systems Inc. or Peloton Interactive Inc., he added — companies whose profitability has waned after a pandemic-related boom.

“We are busy for the next 20 years just with the gyms, so no need to think about home fitness,” Roesch-Schlanderer said.

EGYM’s existing investors Mayfair Equity Partners and Bayern Kapital also participated in the round.

(Corrects the location of EGYM’s headquarters in the deck headline)