SPORTL raises £250,000 pre-seed to convert spare gym capacity via pay-as-you-train app
This article covers SPORTL, a London healthtech startup that has closed a £250,000 pre-seed funding round and launched a pay-as-you-train booking app aimed at reducing unused gym capacity. The development aims to help studios and independent fitness venues convert spare capacity into revenue and give consumers access to flexible single-session bookings.
SPORTL, a London healthtech startup, has closed a £250,000 pre-seed funding round and launched a pay-as-you-train booking app aimed at reducing unused gym capacity — a persistent revenue drain for studios and independent fitness venues. The platform goes live with 50 London-based studios and plans to use the funding to expand into other UK cities and hire senior product and commercial staff.
Why it matters
Many gyms and boutique studios struggle with spare capacity between peak classes and ad-hoc demand. A booking layer that lets consumers book single sessions could help operators convert otherwise wasted capacity into revenue and reach new, spontaneous customers. For a sector that pivoted heavily to memberships and subscriptions in recent years, a flexible, on-demand model offers an alternative monetisation route.
The announcement also signals continued investor interest in healthtech solutions that sit at the intersection of consumer behaviour and venue inventory optimisation.
Inside the product
SPORTL launches as a pay-as-you-train booking platform available on app stores. The company says it has spoken to more than 300 gyms about joining and is live with 50 London studios at launch. The initial list includes Common Bond — which aggregates destinations such as Boom Cycle, Triyoga, Barrecore and Reformcore — alongside boutique operators RFRM, TrainYard, Revolt Cycling, Manor and Reformer Collective.
The product promise is simple: make single-session booking straightforward for users while giving studios flexible control and transparency over how they sell spare capacity. SPORTL plans to iterate on the product once the initial offering is established and use the new funding for growth hires and expansion to other major UK cities.
Who are the investors?
The £250,000 round is described as a pre-seed raise with participation from strategic industry figures rather than a single institutional lead. Notable participants named in the announcement are Kevin Hewitt, former EMEA chairman of FTI Consulting, who will join SPORTL as chairman of the board; James Hardy, a former Deliveroo executive and co-founder of personalised supplements company Bioniq; and Jamie Hearne, a recruitment entrepreneur and healthtech investor.
Each backer brings relevant sector experience: Hewitt a background in corporate advisory and scaling businesses, Hardy experience with consumer marketplaces and operations, and Hearne sector knowledge around fitness and recruiting commercial teams. The involvement of these operators suggests a mix of advisory and network value in addition to capital.
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Founder perspective
In the announcement, Ryan Lovelock, Co-Founder of SPORTL, said:
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.
The company has also hired two early commercial roles: Lucy Gray as marketing manager — described in the release as a fitness influencer with a following — and Sean Sevant as partnerships manager, bringing nearly a decade of sales experience from David Lloyd Leisure.
The bigger picture
SPORTL is entering a crowded attention market where consumers juggle memberships, drop-in classes and boutique bookings. Its success will depend on acquiring users who value spontaneity and convincing a broader base of studios to adopt variable pricing or booking slots. The initial London footprint and named studio partners give it a testing ground to refine pricing mechanics, discovery and partner economics.
In the context of the UK market, this kind of product reflects a broader move towards more flexible consumption models across leisure and health services. It also aligns with investor interest in healthtech startups that combine consumer-facing apps with venue-side monetisation.
The deal adds to a steady flow of early-stage funding into UK healthtech and consumer marketplaces and will be worth watching as SPORTL seeks traction outside London and refines the unit economics of single-session bookings.
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