A CrossFit owner in Amsterdam spends an hour each morning reconciling payments from three different systems. A yoga studio manager in Rotterdam manually updates a spreadsheet to track member churn. This administrative drag is the wedge for Huppa, an Amsterdam-based startup that just raised €1 million to build what it calls an operating system for class-based sports [Emerce, October 2026].
Co-founders Sharief Mohamed and Gino Arendsz started building the software in January 2024, drawing on their direct experience running a kickboxing gym and a CrossFit box [Huppa, retrieved 2026]. Their premise is simple. The software market for small to midsize gyms, boxes, and studios is a patchwork of legacy tools, often requiring owners to stitch together separate systems for scheduling, payments, and member management. Huppa's all-in-one platform aims to replace that stack with a single dashboard.
The Wedge: From Owner Experience to Product
The founders are betting that their firsthand operational pain translates into a product that resonates. The platform combines member administration, class reservations, payment processing, and financial reporting [Huppa, retrieved 2026]. A key surface is a self-service portal where members can book classes and manage their own accounts, reducing front-desk friction.
The most pointed feature may be the financial dashboard. It promises gym owners clear insights into revenue, member counts, and VAT obligations at a glance [Huppa, retrieved 2026]. For a business owner who is more coach than accountant, that visibility is the core of the value proposition. It turns administrative complexity into a few key performance indicators.
The Backing: A Consortium of Local Operators
In October 2026, Huppa closed a €1 million pre-seed round to accelerate development and hiring [Emerce, October 2026]. The round was led by NL SportTech Ventures and included a notable syndicate of entrepreneurs from the Benelux tech scene. Investors include the founders of Sentia, Keylane, TicketSwap, Moneybird, and Revue [Emerce, October 2026].
This is not just venture capital. It is strategic capital from founders who have built and scaled software companies in the region. Their involvement suggests a belief in Huppa's model and provides a network for early growth. The funding is earmarked for expansion in the Netherlands and Belgium, with a stated goal of serving at least 150 sports businesses by the end of 2027 [Emerce, October 2026].
Building the Team and Traction
The €1 million gives Huppa runway to build out its team. Public profiles list a lean squad focused on product and customer success.
- Sharief Mohamed, Co-founder. Previously CFO at AI fashion startup Lalaland and Head of Finance at Otrium [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026].
- Gino Arendsz, Co-founder. Has been building Huppa since its inception in early 2024 [Huppa, retrieved 2026].
- Core Team. Includes lead engineer Jecan Chiu, product designer Niklas Schumacher, and customer-success manager Dylan Struwer [Huppa, retrieved 2026].
Open roles listed on the company's site signal the next phase: hiring for customer success and sales, including a specific role for a sales representative targeting the Polish market [Huppa, retrieved 2026]. This indicates an ambition to move beyond the initial Benelux focus sooner rather than later.
The Competitive Grid
Huppa enters a market with established, often larger, incumbents. The competitive set includes Mindbody, Glofox, and ClubReady, which have significant market share, particularly in North America. For a European startup, the path is not to outspend them on marketing but to out-execute them on local needs and user experience.
The table below outlines the key players Huppa will encounter.
| Company | Primary Geography | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|
| Huppa | Netherlands, Belgium (expanding) | All-in-one dashboard, VAT-focused reporting, founder-led design |
| Mindbody | Global | Extensive marketplace, large installed base, broad feature set |
| Glofox | Global (owned by ABC Fitness) | Strong brand in boutique fitness, mobile-first management |
| ClubReady | North America | Focus on member retention and automated marketing tools |
Huppa's differentiators are its hyper-local starting point, its focus on the specific financial reporting needs of European businesses, and its origin story as a tool built by operators for operators.
The Risk and the Runway
The primary risk is one of velocity and focus. The target of 150 customers in roughly 15 months is aggressive for a pre-seed company in a market with entrenched alternatives. Execution will depend on nailing the product-market fit in the initial Benelux region before expanding. A misstep into Poland or other markets too early could dilute resources.
The company's answer is its capital and its backers. The €1 million pre-seed provides a typical 18-24 month runway for a team of its size. The investor group, heavy with successful local founders, offers more than money. It offers a playbook for scaling a SaaS business in Europe and a network for early customer introductions.
For now, the bet rests on a simple metric. Can Huppa convert the daily frustrations of 150 gym owners into paid subscriptions by the end of 2027? The €1 million check from NL SportTech Ventures and founders of companies like Moneybird and TicketSwap says they see a path [Emerce, October 2026]. The question for the next twelve months is whether the product can move as fast as the ambition.
Sources
- [Emerce, October 2026] Nederlandse fitness-tech startup Huppa haalt €1 miljoen pre-seed investering op | https://www.emerce.nl/wire/nederlandse-fitnesstech-startup-huppa-haalt-1-miljoen-preseed-investering
- [Huppa, retrieved 2026] Gym management software voor gyms, boxes en studio’s | Huppa | https://www.huppa.app/
- [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Sharief Mohamed - Co-founder @ Huppa | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharief-mohamed/
- [Dealroom.co, October 2026] Huppa raises €1M to overhaul gym and CrossFit software | https://app.dealroom.co/news/note/huppa-raises-1m-to-overhaul-gym-and-crossfit-software