VersaClimber ownership shifts to Schieffer & Siegrist, OBSESS raises $316K & DSSV launches 2027 German fitness survey

In today's episode

1. 01
   Build

   VersaClimber executives Schieffer and Siegrist become majority owners

   Shane Schieffer and Jim Siegrist, who have led strategy and sales at VersaClimber respectively, became majority owners of the Santa Ana, California-based equipment brand on 4 November 2026. Schieffer takes the role of chief executive and Siegrist becomes president and chief revenue officer, while the founding Charnitski family retains a minority stake after 45 years of ownership. Studio operators who stock or program VersaClimber equipment can expect continued investment in product development and partnerships, given Siegrist's existing relationships with brands such as Lagree Fitness and TRX.

2. 02
   Signal

   DSSV launches 2027 German fitness industry data survey

   The DSSV, Germany's association of fitness and health club operators, Deloitte, and the Deutsche Hochschule für Prävention und Gesundheitsmanagement (DHfPG), a German university specialising in prevention and health management, launched their annual data collection for the Eckdaten der deutschen Fitnesswirtschaft 2027 study on 4 November 2026, calling on all fitness and health facility operators in Germany to participate. The most recent figures show the German fitness sector recorded 12.36 million members, 9,647 facilities, and total revenue of 6.25 billion euros in 2025. Operators facing high running costs, staff shortages, and regulatory pressure stand to benefit from the benchmark data the study produces, which has tracked German market trends annually since 1989.

3. 03
   Signal

   OBSESS raises $316K angel round to connect India's fitness market

   Noida-based fitness platform OBSESS closed an angel round of approximately Rs 3 crore ($316K) on 2 November 2026, about eight months after its March 2026 launch. The round was backed by Centricity co-founder Pushpendra Singh, Amit Goel, and Harshit Vij, with proceeds earmarked for partnerships, ecosystem expansion, and technology. OBSESS connects users with gyms, sports facilities, trainers, nutrition services, and fitness products on a single platform, signalling early investor appetite for aggregator models in India's fragmented fitness market.