Every week, ILQ features a different Qatari startup in our ‘Startup of the Week’ segment. Qatar has some of the most creative, unique, and impactful startups in the region, and we cover them all across a variety of industries in Doha, from fashion and beauty to food and dining, health, education, and more!
This week, we're working out with CLASSTAP, a lifestyle company that offers access to fitness classes and gyms around Qatar through one application. You can book a fitness class or a day pass to gyms with a tap of a button and hence the name ClassTap!
According to Bashar Hudhud, CEO of Classtap, "Our mission is to motivate people in Qatar to lead healthy lifestyles by inspiring, connecting and introducing them to new fitness experiences. The population is becoming more health-conscious and the number of people that want to be fit and healthy is on the rise. But it is also difficult to commit to a specific workout routine and this routine often becomes demotivating for many.
Our product will help them get introduced to all the workouts and fitness classes out there. So there is no need anymore to commit to one specific workout! You can try it all from Crossfit, HIIT, Pilates, yoga to boxing, spinning, weight lifting and many more workout categories available on Classtap. We’re constantly partnering with the best gyms in Qatar to provide our customers with the best experience and a massive variety of venues and fitness classes to attend."
When asked how the business started, Bashar shared they have been building the company and refining the business model to fit the Qatari market for about 5 months.
We’ve joined Digital Incubation Centre’s Ideacamp and Qatar Science & Technology Park’s XLR8 program back in September 2019 to help us validate our market and business model. On December 2nd we’ve been awarded the Best Investment Opportunity by QSTP, a member of Qatar Foundation!
On the same day Aspire’s Qatar Sportstech approached us to join their accelerator program, a program run by Startup Bootcamp targeting promising early-stage startups in the sports industry. We’ve been fortunate to receive an early-stage investment from Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and have support from a partner network which includes Aspire, Bein Sports, Qatar Financial Centre, Ministry of Commerce and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.
We’re currently developing the best platform and smartphone app in the market and we’re happy to announce that our product will be launching in March!
We’re focused on giving our customers the best workout experience in Qatar. With our app, working out will finally be fun! You can join your friends in a high-intensity training session one day and then enjoy a serene yoga experience another day at the top gyms in Qatar. We know our customers, we know our market and we’re confident we will deliver a fitness package they’ll truly love!
We also have a unique value proposition for our gym partners. We aim to build a very healthy relationship with our partners, we depend on them for our success and so we aim to find the right balance to attract customers without devaluing the gyms. We have to increase their revenue at the end of the day without sacrificing on customer experience.
The response from their customers has been nothing but epic. "The support we’ve received from everyone has been tremendous. We have hundreds of customers signed up and waiting for our product to be launched in March. Our gym partners have been amazing too, they’re excited about our business and how it can benefit their gyms, some of them have been supporting us from the idea stage!", Bashar shared.
Bashar also mentioned that Qatar Science & Technology Park helped Classtap build their base. They are also currently headquartered in QSTP. Bashar mentioned that "The support system they’ve developed to help startups succeed is truly amazing."
Classtap also joined Digital Incubation Centre's Ideacamp at an early stage to validate the market and Qatar Sportstech run by Startup Bootcamp is helping them set up the infrastructure for scaling and growth.
In line with this, ILQ asked Bashar regarding their opinion on the relevance of startups to Qatar's economic growth. He answered:
Absolutely! Not only startups will aid in the development of the countries economy and manpower but what I find most important is that startups are agile, and so we are capable to quickly adjust our product and business to fit a changing market. Ensuring we meet customer demands much quicker.
And this is their advice for young entrepreneurs who are interested in establishing startups of their own?
Go for it…take the risk! But you need to know that starting a business is no easy task. There will be a few ups and lots of downs. You need to commit your time, money and energy to a startup. If you don’t, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Make sure you give your startup the commitment it needs. Therefore, you absolutely need to be passionate about whatever venture you develop. So find your passion and develop a business model to monetize it. With all that said, go and start a business now, it’s a lot of fun!
Our app will be available on the Apple and Android store in March! Follow us on Instagram @classtap and signup on www.classtap.com to stay up to date. If you’re a gym owner that would like to partner with us, send us an email at [email protected] and we’ll be in touch.
Website: https://www.classtap.com/
Instagram: @classtap
Contact number: +974 3314 0767
Email: [email protected]
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