The podcast Hashtag Fitness Industry completes its deep-dive into the Latin American fitness market by focusing on the region's heavyweight: Brazil. Host Andreas Bechler and guest Martin Saldaño Krogslund (Co-founder of Fitlink) discuss the country's explosive success, which makes it the world's second-largest fitness market by club count.
They analyze how a massive internal market, combined with factors like relatively low salaries and import restrictions, forces giants like SmartFit and Wellhub (formerly Gympass) to develop extreme competitiveness that enables aggressive global scaling. Looking ahead, they suggest that the next major market "shocks" in Europe will likely come from proven business models—such as SaaS or Gym equipment—rather than from specific HealthTech startups, provided they enter correctly. The discussion also touches on how remote work is changing the "Talent Export" movement, allowing Brazilian talent to pursue higher salaries abroad while remaining connected to their growing home job market.
Martin’s final message for investors is a strong warning: stop treating Brazil as a 'developing market.' It is a huge, developed market with unique dynamics, technology, and culture, and success requires deep adaptation and engagement with the entire local ecosystem.
Further Information and Links:
Contact Andreas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreasmbechler/
Contact Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-salda%C3%B1o-krogslund/
Fitlink: https://www.fitlinkglobal.com
