Daxko Expands Its Fitness Portfolio with Acquisition of Motionsoft

Daxko, Birmingham, Alabama, has acquired member management software company Motionsoft, Rockville, Maryland, for an undisclosed sum, the two companies announced on Aug. 19.

This purchase is one of 10 acquisitions that Daxko has made in the fitness market in the past five years.

“Leveraging our shared experience, passion and commitment to empowering the industry, we will be able to better serve health, fitness, and wellness centers to thrive in a constantly evolving landscape,” Daxko CEO Ron Lamb said in the announcement. 

Al Noshirvani, co-founder and chairman of Motionsoft, will stay with the brand as will his team, he told Club Industry. 

"We had been speaking to the Daxko team for many years, and ultimately I felt that this was the best outcome for our customers, employees and shareholders," Noshirvani said.  

Motionsoft CEO Rick Auletta said that the acquisition means Motionsoft’s customers will have easier access to an unprecedented selection of world-class solutions and services.

Daxko delivers technology solutions, integrated payment processing, services and insights to health clubs, boutique fitness studios, affiliate gyms, campus recreation facilities, integrated wellness centers, YMCAs, and JCCs. Since 1998, the company has grown to serve customers spanning 140 countries, nearly 16,000 facilities, and more than 17 million members.  

In the past five years, Daxko’s footprint in the fitness market has grown partially through several acquisitions, backed by GI Partners, a San Francisco-based private investment firm that has raised more than $21 billion in capital and invests in private equity, real estate and data infrastructure strategies mostly in the healthcare, IT infrastructure, services and software sectors.

In 2015, Daxko purchased CSI Software (now called CSI Spectrum), a provider of enterprise software to health and fitness clubs, campus recreation centers, parks and recreation centers, wellness centers, and nonprofit organizations. The acquisition represented a market expansion for Daxko, which at that time was the largest provider of health and wellness software to member-based nonprofits such as YMCAs and Jewish Community Centers.

In 2017, Daxko acquired Affiliated Acceptance Corporation as well as Zen Planner, a Denver-based provider of member management software, payments and integrated websites to what was then 5,500 gyms, martial arts schools, and fitness studios.

In 2018, Daxko acquired Club Automation, a Chicago-based provider of club management software to more than 400 facilities at the time of purchase.

Daxko purchased GroupEx Pro in 2019. GroupEx Pro, a privately held web-based group exercise management portal for group fitness departments across the country, was created by fitness business and program consultant Shannon Fable and her web-developer husband John Fable.

Also in 2019, the company purchased workout app SugarWOD and TennisSource, a provider of tennis facility management software solutions.

In addition to the Motionsoft purchase, so far in 2020 Daxko has purchased PlayerSpace, a company providing sports program management technology to YMCAs and similar organizations across the country, as well as Uplaunch, a CRM and marketing automation software company designed for the needs of affiliate and boutique gyms.