🔥 What's in this episode? Over half of Withings' blood pressure monitor users have hypertension with medication - this is how the French health tech company is transforming chronic condition management through seamless home monitoring. In this episode, Matthieu Menanteau, Product Director at Withings, reveals how they're bringing hospital-grade biomarkers into consumers' daily lives. Discover how they're achieving continuous health insights through an integrated ecosystem of smart scales, sleep analyzers, and AI-powered health assistants.

🎤 About our guest: Matthieu Menanteau is the Product Director at Withings, a French health tech company founded in 2008 with a global ecosystem of connected health devices. He leads development of breakthrough products including the U-scan urine analysis device and advancing existing product lines like smart scales and hybrid watches. Under his leadership, Withings has successfully integrated medical-grade features into consumer devices, creating seamless health monitoring solutions used by millions worldwide.

🎯 What you'll learn 
[02:08] How to bring medical - grade biomarkers from hospital settings into daily home monitoring for prevention and long-term health insights 
[03:15] The OMNIA concept strategy - using conceptual products to demonstrate ecosystem capabilities and trigger B2B partnership discussions [11:31] Target audience evolution from health - conscious consumers to chronic condition management, with over 50% of blood pressure users having hypertension 
[15:01] Why "grassroot change" through consumer empowerment creates bigger healthcare impact than top-down system approaches 
[20:30] Integration strategy differences - maintaining hundreds of open API connections while being selective about direct data partnerships

📌 Links & resources

Withings Official Website

🎁 Special for our listeners: Get 20% off all Withings products (except new releases) with the code WITH-FITTECH-20 at checkout on their website.

Connect with Matthieu Menanteau on LinkedIn

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🔥 What's in this episode? Over 200,000 people waited for this technology before launch - this is how Tally Health is revolutionizing longevity measurement through DNA science. In this episode, Adiv Johnson, Head of Scientific Affairs and Education, reveals how a simple cheek swab can predict your biological age and mortality risk with remarkable accuracy. Discover how they're achieving measurable longevity insights through epigenetic aging clocks and AI-powered personalization.

🎤 About our guest: Adiv Johnson is the Head of Scientific Affairs and Education at Tally Health, a longevity company that has raised over $10 million and performed 20,000+ age tests. He holds a PhD in Physiological Sciences with over 15 years of aging research experience and has published 40+ scientific papers. As part of the founding team, he left his previous role to join Tally Health after consulting for Dr. David Sinclair's Lifespan podcast, bringing deep expertise in epigenetic biomarkers and aging biology.

🎯 What you'll learn

[06:06] How DNA methylation changes predictably with age - enabling epigenetic clocks that estimate biological age within years of accuracy

[09:00] Why single biomarkers fail - the need for holistic aging measurement combining molecular data with traditional fitness metrics like grip strength and VO2 max

[14:55] Tally Health's three-tier business model - individual testing, comprehensive membership with lifestyle coaching, and supplement-only subscriptions

[19:07] The massive synergy potential between molecular longevity tools and traditional fitness operators for holistic aging optimization

[23:55] AI's transformative role in longevity - from personalized coaching algorithms to next-generation biomarkers that better capture mortality risk

📌 Links & resources

Tally Health Website

Connect with Adiv Johnson on LinkedIn

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🔥 What's in this episode?

800,000 global participants and counting - this is how Hyrox is redefining what motivates people to train consistently. In this episode, Christian Toetzke, Founder and CEO of Hyrox, reveals why the fitness industry's traditional focus on aesthetics and calorie-burning is failing to create long-term member engagement. Discover how Hyrox's competition model is turning gyms from service providers into community clubhouses, driving both member retention and new revenue streams through a powerful combination of athletic purpose and social connection.

🎤 About our guest:

Christian Toetzke is the Founder and CEO of Hyrox, a global fitness competition operating in 36 countries with 800,000 participants worldwide and partnering with over 7,000 affiliated gyms. He leads Hyrox's strategic expansion into new markets and oversees the development of their innovative digital platform for gym operators. Under his leadership, Hyrox has pioneered a unique business model that drives fitness enthusiasts into gyms rather than away from them, transforming how people approach fitness training beyond aesthetics and creating new revenue opportunities for gym operators worldwide.

🎯 What you'll learn

01:12 Growth strategy in emerging markets

02:50 The role of technology in enhancing Hyrox experience

04:55 Business model: Affiliate gyms and community building

09:50 Future growth: B2B vs B2C dynamics

11:29 Creating athletic goals: Motivation beyond aesthetics

17:03 The gym as a community hub

18:11 Hyrox's positioning in the gym market

19:15 Events vs. Other revenue models

19:59 Innovations in technology for events

23:55 Imagining the future of gym experiences

📌 Links & resources

Hyrox: https://hyrox.com/

Connect with Christian Toetzke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-toetzke-9825a710/

🎧 Enjoyed this episode?

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🔥 What's in this episode?

Only 15% churn rate compared to the industry average of 25% - this is how Maikai is transforming member retention through innovative biohacking services. In this episode, Daniel Donhauser (Founder of Maikai and former CCO of EGYM) reveals how integrating cryotherapy and other longevity treatments creates higher customer lifetime value while requiring less space and staff than traditional gym offerings. Discover how they're achieving remarkable retention rates through a health-first approach that bridges the gap between fitness and preventative wellness.

🎤 About our guest:

Daniel Donhauser is the Founder of Maikai, a boutique gym chain with seven locations specializing in yoga, boot camps, and biohacking services. He previously served as Chief Commercial Officer at EGYM (now a unicorn company) for four years. Under his leadership, Maikai has expanded into the longevity space, partnering with Biogena to create medical day spas focused on personal health and holistic well-being across 10 locations in Austria and Germany, with plans for further expansion.

🎯 What you'll learn

[03:27] How COVID lockdowns sparked the pivot to biohacking services as a survival strategy

[04:50] Why cryotherapy memberships yield similar revenue to gym memberships while requiring only 10 square meters of space and minimal staff

[06:55] The surprising retention advantage of biohacking treatments - customers have difficulty evaluating effectiveness, leading to lower churn

[09:56] Customer demographics - 80% overlap between traditional gym members and biohacking clients, with core audience being women 45+

[11:26] The Biogena Plaza concept - creating an integrated customer journey combining medical diagnostics, supplements, and biohacking treatments

[13:55] Major challenges in the European biohacking market - gaining doctor endorsements and educating consumers

[19:22] The future of fitness tech - AI-powered exercise guidance and advanced wearables that trigger proactive health interventions

📌 Links & resources

Maikai: https://maikaionline.com/en/wellness/fitness

Connect with Daniel Donhauser: https://at.linkedin.com/in/daniel-donhauser-a581023a

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🔥 What's in this episode?

GLP-1 drugs have 10% adoption in the US with users 3x more likely to exercise - this is how Lifetime Fitness is capturing a $6.7 billion total addressable market through their MIORA longevity clinics. In this episode, Jeffrey Zwiefel, Executive Director of MIORA Longevity and Performance, reveals how integrating medical-grade wellness services can generate $3 million EBITDA per location while dramatically increasing member retention. Discover how they're achieving membership satisfaction rates of 95% through personalized health optimization that extends far beyond traditional fitness.

🎤 About our guest:

Jeffrey G. Zwiefel is the Executive Director of MIORA Longevity and Performance at Lifetime Fitness, with 170+ athletic clubs across the United States and Canada serving over 1.5 million access members. During his remarkable 26-year tenure, he has helped grow the company from 7 clubs to 180 locations, scaling revenue from $137 million to over $2.3 billion. Under his leadership, Lifetime has transformed from a fitness-centered business to a comprehensive healthy lifestyle ecosystem with record-low monthly attrition rates of just 2%.

🎯 What you'll learn

[02:09] How Lifetime evolved from a narrow fitness vertical to a multi-generational "healthy way of life company" serving members from "90 days to 90 years old"

[05:51] The complete MIORA longevity program structure including metabolic code assessments, personalized health plans, and subscription model at $299/month

[14:08] Unit economics of longevity clinics generating $250,000 monthly revenue per location with 30-36% margins and $3 million annual EBITDA

[17:08] Three key challenges in launching a longevity business: creating a seamless customer journey, optimizing pricing for accessibility, and finding the right practitioners

[23:55] How GLP-1 medications represent a $6.7 billion opportunity for fitness businesses when combined with comprehensive lifestyle programming

[30:19] Why even younger generations (26+) are increasingly seeking biohacking and longevity services for anxiety, sleep disorders, and sexual function optimization

📌 Links & resources

• Lifetime Fitness: https://www.lifetime.life/
• MIORA Longevity: https://my.lifetime.life/clubs/mn/target-center-minneapolis/services/miora.html
• Connect with Jeffrey Zwiefel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffzwiefel?trk=public_post_reshare-text

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Become a member:

Join the FitTech Club - private community of global decision-makers & innovators in fitness & consumer health tech.

🔥 What's in this episode?

Garmin's fitness segment grew by 30% in a market where global wearable sales declined by 7% - this is how specialized health devices are challenging the one-size-fits-all approach. In this episode, Jörn Watzke, Senior Director of Garmin Health B2B, reveals why users don't need more data but better guidance and insights. Discover how Garmin is achieving remarkable growth through an open ecosystem that translates complex biometrics into actionable insights for both consumers and B2B partners.

🎤 About our guest:

Jörn Watzke is the Senior Director of Garmin Health B2B at Garmin, a company that achieved a record $6.3 billion revenue in 2024 with the fitness segment alone reaching $1.8 billion. He leads B2B partnerships and integrations across fitness, healthcare, and preventative health sectors. Under his leadership, Garmin Health has developed an open platform approach that powers thousands of partner integrations worldwide, from fitness chains like TechnoGym and CleverFit to research institutions like Harvard University.

🎯 What you'll learn:

[03:23] Why specialized wearables are growing while the overall market declines [07:04] How Garmin translates complex biometrics like HRV into actionable metrics like Body Battery [14:09] The ROI model that fitness businesses should define before implementing wearable partnerships [16:18] Why AI is only as good as its data input, and how continuous monitoring creates personalized training [22:21] The step-by-step process for becoming a Garmin Health B2B partner through API integration [19:50] How the convergence of fitness and healthcare industries will fundamentally change business models

📌 Links & resources

Garmin Health

Connect with Jörn Watzke on LinkedIn

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🔥 What's in this episode?

35-40% slower disease progression with early detection - this is how AI is transforming healthcare outcomes for neurological conditions. In this episode, Jeff Rogers, Global Research Leader for Digital Health at IBM, reveals how companies can train effective AI models with just 100 individuals instead of massive datasets previously required.

🎤 About our guest:

Jeff Rogers is the Global Research Leader for Digital Health at IBM and a distinguished scientist. He leads IBM's efforts in combining innovations in electronics for sensing, information technologies like artificial intelligence, and simulation tools with large computing and networking to innovate in healthcare and wellness. Under his leadership, IBM has formed a 10-year partnership with Cleveland Clinic, installing the first dedicated quantum computer for healthcare research.

🎯 What you'll learn

[01:00] How IBM defines digital health and its approach to wellness and disease prevention 

[01:53] IBM's partnership with Cleveland Clinic using quantum computing for healthcare 

[03:30] Using AI to predict and treat neurological diseases like dementia 

[05:50] The reality vs. hype of AI in healthcare applications 

[13:05] Multi-agent AI and fit-for-purpose models for fitness applications 

[19:19] New business models emerging from the separation of foundation model providers and application developers 

[21:10] The future of AI-powered chatbots for personalized health insights

📌 Links & resources

IBM Digital Health Research

Connect with Jeff Rogers

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🔥 What's in this episode? 

3x longer gym stays without adding technology - this is how RSG Group, one of the world's largest fitness operators, is challenging conventional wisdom. In this episode, Jörg Fockenberg, VP of Strategy at RSG Group, reveals why strategic tech restraint might be the key to member engagement in an industry where 81% of operators are increasing tech investments. Discover how they're achieving remarkable results through social spaces and selective integration.

🎤 About our guest: 

Jörg Fockenberg is the VP of Strategy, Expansion and Franchise at RSG Group, managing global brands including Gold's Gym, McFIT, and John Reed across 900+ locations with 4.5 million members in 30 countries. He oversees international development, strategic partnerships, and drives innovation across the group's diverse portfolio. Under his leadership, RSG Group has pioneered a pragmatic approach to fitness ecosystem development focused on member value rather than technology for its own sake.

🎯 What you'll learn

[02:35] Strategic vision: How RSG plans to maintain market leadership through selective innovation 

[05:16] The functional fitness revolution: Integrating Hyrox training and electrified strength solutions 

[09:40] Technology selection strategy: Why RSG takes a measured approach in an age of digital hype 

[13:13] Data with purpose: Ensuring every data point collected actually benefits the member 

[14:53] The "third space" phenomenon: Why members spend 3x longer in gyms designed for social interaction

📌 Links & resources 

RSG Group

Connect with Jörg Fockenberg

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Tune in: Subscribe to the FitTech Podcast on:
Spotify
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🔥 What's in this episode?

20% more app users than gym visitors - this is how SATS, the Nordics’ biggest fitness operator, is witnessing the digital transformation of their business. In this episode, Gaute Sandal, CDO of SATS, speaks about cracking the member retention code. This is how the operator is transforming good intentions into lasting habits through targeted communication and real-time behavioral triggers.

🎤 About Our Guest:

Gaute Sandal is the Chief Digital Officer at SATS, the Nordic region's #1 fitness provider with 276 clubs and 731,000 members. He leads a 50+ in-house technology team delivering digital solutions that have achieved over 400,000 unique weekly app users. Under his leadership, SATS has successfully implemented machine learning models and transformed their digital engagement strategy.

🎯 What You'll Learn

[01:11] How SATS defines digital success in the fitness industry

[03:25] The crucial first 8 weeks: Breaking down their member retention strategy

[06:32] Building an effective fitness ecosystem: Physical meets digital

[14:38] Smart data tracking: What really matters for member success

[22:07] The future of fitness technology and behavior change

📌 Links & Resources

SATS Group

Connect with Gaute Sandal

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AI Innovation in Fitness with Karl Foster, CTO of GymNation

In this episode of the FitTech Club podcast, we explore how GymNation, a leading fitness chain in the Middle East with 20 locations and over 100,000 members, is revolutionizing the industry through AI implementation.

Key Insights

1.  AI Implementation
   - Custom-built solutions tailored to specific organizational needs
   - In-house development team of six specialists
   - Integration of OpenAI and Anthropic APIs

2. Data and Analytics
   - Comprehensive collection of behavioral, demographic, and financial data
   - Performance metrics including body composition and wearable data
   - Historical conversation tracking with AI agents

3.  Member Experience
   - 10-second response time to new member inquiries
   - Multi-channel communication (app, WhatsApp, SMS, email, voice)
   - Spotify-style engagement program improving retention rates

4. Business Impact
   - 3x increase in human team efficiency with AI support
   - Significant ROI through smart billing and fintech solutions
   - Improved member retention through data-driven engagement

Keywords

AI, GymNation, data integration, voice AI, member experience, fintech, business growth, technology innovation, fitness industry, automation

Connect with FitTech Club

🤝 Join our community: FitTech Club
💪 Apply for a free power networking session to meet fitness & health industry peers.
🎯 Connect with industry peers and innovators