18GYM and Stay Fit Gym join forces with backing from Enterprise Investors

Bucharest, October 6, 2026 — 18GYM, a fast-growing Romanian gym chain backed by Enterprise Investors, and Stay Fit Gym, one of Romania's largest fitness networks, have agreed to combine their businesses to create a dual-brand platform with more than 120 clubs across Romania and 130,000 members. The transaction will bring together two highly complementary businesses with distinct geographic footprints, creating an enhanced offering for consumers across the country. 

• The deal is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close within four months. Until then, 18GYM and Stay Fit Gym will continue to operate independently;
• Upon closing, Enterprise Investors Fund IX will hold a significant minority stake in the combined business alongside 18GYM’s founders, with Stay Fit Gym’s founders joining as minority shareholders, while Morphosis Capital, an existing investor in Stay Fit Gym, will fully exit;
• The transaction value has not been disclosed.

Stay Fit Gym was founded in 2012 by Alexandru Lascăr, Marius Preodișteanu and Laurențiu Lascăr, who have overseen its expansion to 77 clubs and 80,000 members as of September 2026 and built a strong presence in Bucharest and southern Romania. 18GYM presently operates 45 clubs, primarily in the north of the country. Both brands will maintain their distinct, complementary propositions, while remaining focused on making high-quality fitness accessible to a broad customer base. Together, the two brands will serve customers on a wider basis across Romania, reflecting their combined footprint and scale.

We have spent more than a decade building Stay Fit Gym around the needs of Romanian gym-goers, said Alexandru Lascăr, co‑founder and CEO of Stay Fit Gym. Joining forces with 18GYM will not only combine two complementary geographic footprints but allow us to serve a broader customer base with a wider range of fitness experiences. Marius Preodișteanu, co-founder in charge of expansion at Stay Fit Gym, added Alexandru, Laurențiu and I are proud of the business and team we built so far and are very excited to be reinvesting alongside 18GYM’s founder and CEO, Vlad Ronea, and Enterprise Investors in line with our commitment to remain closely involved in the next stage of growth.

18GYM and Stay Fit Gym have built strong businesses that complement each other, said Vlad Ronea, adding: Bringing them together gives us the opportunity to build on the strengths of both brands, invest further in the member experience and make high‑quality fitness accessible to more people across the country.

Romania’s fitness market remains underpenetrated compared with more mature European markets, leaving significant room for further growth. At the same time, demand for accessible, high-quality fitness continues to rise, while the market remains fragmented, with a large number of independent operators and small local chains. As healthier lifestyles and regular exercise become more firmly established among Romanian consumers, these dynamics create substantial scope for further club expansion.

Scaling strong businesses through well-executed buy-and-build has been part of Enterprise Investors’ approach for many years, including in Romania. The principle is consistent: we back founders with a proven operating model and provide the capital and support needed to accelerate growth in fragmented markets. We have used this approach with several portfolio companies in Romania, for example through recent acquisitions by PragmaGO and eTravel, and we see an opportunity to apply it here as well. We are pleased to support Vlad, Alexandru, Marius and Laurențiu in the next stage of growth, said Bartosz Kwiatkowski, partner at Enterprise Investors leading the project.

Upon completion of the transaction, Vlad Ronea and Alexandru Lascăr are expected to jointly lead the combined business, working alongside Marius Preodișteanu, Laurențiu Lascăr and the wider 18GYM and Stay Fit Gym teams.

Enterprise Investors announced its investment in 18GYM in March and completed the transaction in June. This was the firm’s eighth direct investment in Romania, where EI has maintained a continuous presence since 2000 and invested a total of EUR 217 million. In addition to its direct investments, the firm has supported add-on acquisitions in Romania by portfolio companies.

Enterprise Investors is one of the largest private equity players in Central and Eastern Europe. Active since 1990, the firm has raised ten funds, which have invested and committed EUR 2.5 billion in 164 companies and exited 143 companies.

For further information please contact:
Anna Czywczyńska, Communications & Public Affairs Director 
tel.: +48 22 458 8500
www.ei.com.pl