Houlihan Lokey Advises the Shareholders of Holmes Place Germany

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that AUCTUS Capital Partners AG and Holmes Place Europe have agreed to sell Holmes Place Germany to Virgin Active, an international group operating in the premium fitness and wellness sector.

Holmes Place Germany is a leading premium fitness and wellness platform in Germany operating clubs across Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne, Essen, and Lübeck. Its large-format clubs combine comprehensive fitness facilities, extensive group exercise programmes, and personal training with swimming pools, saunas, and wellness amenities, providing an integrated health and wellbeing experience.

Xavier Gilabert, Group CEO of Holmes Place, shares: “Since 1980, Holmes Place has been recognised as one of the leading operators in the premium fitness sector. We are particularly proud of what we have achieved in Germany, where we have built a strong, stable, and talented team and a truly special workplace culture. We would like to thank everyone who has been part of this success story, especially AUCTUS Capital Partners, an excellent partner in developing the German market. Our team and members have always been like family to us, and we are confident that Virgin Active will continue to grow and develop the business.”

AUCTUS Capital Partners AG, founded in 2001 and headquartered in Munich, is one of Europe’s most active investors in small and medium-sized companies. “When we partnered with Holmes Place Europe in 2016, our goal was to build a premium platform in a German fitness market that was still highly fragmented. Together with Doron Dickman and his team, we have grown the network to 13 clubs and invested consistently in quality. That Virgin Active has chosen Holmes Place Germany for its entry into Germany confirms what this team has built. We thank management and all employees for 10 years of excellent cooperation and are convinced that the clubs and their members are in very good hands,” says Florian Buddemeier, Partner at AUCTUS Capital Partners AG.

Virgin Active is an international fitness and wellness club operator within the British Virgin Group, founded in the U.K. in 1999, with 224 Social Wellness Clubs in 10 countries, and more than one million members. Its clubs offer premium fitness facilities, as well as relaxation, recovery and vibrant social spaces to create a comprehensive wellness destination. The acquisition marks Virgin Active’s entry into Germany, Europe’s largest fitness market, and is in line with Virgin Active’s strategy to build scale and market leadership in key continental European markets. Virgin Active intends to progressively introduce its Social Wellness Club model across the German clubs. “Our entry into Germany is an important milestone in Virgin Active’s global expansion in the premium wellness segment. Germany is Europe’s largest fitness market, and through Holmes Place, its leading premium operator, we are acquiring a high-quality network of clubs in major cities, a highly experienced team and a loyal membership base,” says Dean Kowarski, Group CEO of Virgin Active.

Houlihan Lokey acted as the exclusive financial advisor to the shareholders of Holmes Place Germany.

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