Verlinvest acquires majority stake in leading UK bouldering gym operator, The Climbing Hangar, alongside founder and management
- Partnership to invest in the growth of the UK’s leading climbing brand through new site rollout and M&A, with plans to scale the business globally
LONDON, UK, October 15, 2024 —Verlinvest, a global, family-backed, consumer-focused evergreen investment firm, has led a significant investment in The Climbing Hangar, the leading UK bouldering gym operator, alongside the Founder and existing management team. This strategic partnership will provide capital and resources to enable The Climbing Hangar to accelerate its growth by building new sites in the UK, acquiring high-quality existing operations and deepening its brand and climbing community.
The Climbing Hangar was founded by Ged MacDomhnaill, offering a high-quality climbing experience in a welcoming environment at democratic price points through bouldering gyms across the UK. The brand has grown rapidly over the last few years, building on the increasing popularity of climbing and its appeal as both a sport and fitness activity, which is accessible and inclusive for all age groups, genders and demographics.
Since launch, Ged has successfully scaled the business to nine sites and 20,000+ members across the UK, with a focus on offering an accessible, enjoyable environment – appealing to experienced climbers and beginners alike – to champion penetration of the sport and welcome a new generation of enthusiasts.
The Climbing Hangar partners with Shauna Coxsey MBE, Olympian and the UK’s most successful female competition climber, and leads several community initiatives, including Refugees Rock and Hangar Women Rock to encourage participation in the sport. As part of the partnership, Verlinvest and Ged will seek to play a leading role in elevating the sport as a whole to project it into the mainstream while preserving its action sports identity.
Ged MacDomhnaill, CEO and Founder of The Climbing Hangar, said: “I am very proud of The Climbing Hangar’s achievements over the last few years and am excited to welcome Verlinvest as a partner as we look to accelerate the growth of the business. With its consumer experience and understanding of building communities and brands, Verlinvest is the perfect partner to help us continue to widen climbing’s appeal and enrich the sport in doing so. We look forward to inspiring more people and continuing to professionalise the delivery of the sport through data and new technologies, which this new partnership will enable.”
Ben Black of Verlinvest said: “As a consumer investor, we actively seek growth propositions that drive healthy and exciting alternatives for consumers. The Climbing Hangar represents the new generation of bouldering gyms democratising the sport, widening accessibility and raising the quality of the climbing on offer for all. We are delighted to partner with Ged and the team and will actively seek M&A opportunities with other likeminded partners to build the business on an international scale.”
Verlinvest has a proven track record of successfully developing consumer brands and multi-site businesses on a global scale including K1 Speed, Tony’s Chocolonely, Oatly and Insomnia Cookies. The firm’s investment in The Climbing Hangar demonstrates an ongoing commitment to nurturing and developing niche and high-growth sports that have the potential to be mainstream and global at scale, with multiple revenue streams beyond traditional multi-site leisure players.
About The Climbing Hangar
The Climbing Hangar is a movement, dedicated to growing climbing in a sustainable way to bring the world more communities that champion fun, inclusivity and pushing individual limits together—no matter your skill level. Since opening, The Climbing Hangar has become the leading UK bouldering gym operator with a mission to bring chalky joy to the masses.
With innovation and disruption at the forefront, The Climbing Hangar co-founded the Women’s Climbing Symposium, gained UN recognition for its project with refugees and asylum seekers and has delivered global activations with Adidas and grass roots events with The North Face, Vivo Barefoot and Kendal Mountain Film Festival, amongst others. The Climbing Hangar is the first private equity-backed climbing operator in the UK. It currently has nine sites across the UK and a crew of over 200 individuals committed to sharing their passion for climbing.
About Verlinvest
Verlinvest is a global, family-backed evergreen investment company investing tickets up to €200m per investment. It identifies inflection points in consumer behaviour and partners with the businesses that are driving consumer revolutions forward whilst having a positive impact on people and the planet. Established in 1995, with offices in Brussels, London, New York, Mumbai and Singapore, Verlinvest focuses on the FMCG, health, consumer technology and lifestyle categories, investing across three strategies: Platform, Growth and Venture. Its portfolio includes Oatly, Tony’s Chocolonely, K1 Speed, Insomnia Cookies, Vita Coco and Mutti, amongst others.
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