{
  "id": 5108334,
  "title": "Soulhouse: Dieses Start-up setzt auf den Wellness-Trend bei Männern",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/soulhouse-dieses-start-up-setzt-auf-den-wellness-trend-bei-mannern",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-02T14:40:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/start-ups/soulhouse-dieses-start-up-setzt-auf-den-wellness-trend-bei-maennern/100247734.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Benjamin Schroeter, co-founder of Soulhouse Studios, is capitalizing on the growing wellness trend among men with their \"Bathing Suit Booster\" – a massage treatment. Since launching in 2024, the Hamburg-based start-up has expanded to nine studios and raised €20 million in investment. Soulhouse specializes in a category called \"Modern Bodywork,\" which encompasses traditional massages as well as treatments like guided stretching and Brazilian lymphatic drainage (primarily sought by women). Schroeter aims to change this by offering deep massages to help men improve their appearance before vacations, potentially shedding up to a kilo. While the effectiveness of these claims is unscientific, customers seem convinced: each individual massage session reportedly generates around €200,000 in annual revenue, with 33% attributed to non-treatment products like supplements and cosmetics. A typical Soulhouse studio houses ten such treatment tables. Schroeter capitalizes on a broader trend: \"Men are more concerned with well-being and appearance nowadays,\" he notes. According to a McKinsey survey, the wellness market is increasingly driven by younger generations – Gen Z and Millennials – with 20% of Germans planning to spend more on wellness. Soulhouse doesn't merely offer massages; they're gradually expanding their range to include care products and plan to make them a recognizable brand. They target customers willing to pay for regular treatments, primarily in upscale neighborhoods of major European cities. The 51-year-old Schroeter previously founded tech startups like Facelift, a European marketing software provider. Co-founder Rosa Tapper, 34, focuses on marketing, studying business with a fashion industry emphasis and sees bodywork as beneficial for her nervous system regulation. The main competitor is Germany's New Soul, which plans to expand to around 1000 studios across Europe. However, Soulhouse claims they target a different premium audience. Schroeter hopes this diversified service offering will set them apart from New Soul. Soulhouse aims to position themselves as a competitor to expensive hotel spas and traditional Thai massages considered \"low-end.\" This fragmented market, Soulhouse hopes to consolidate. Investors see potential: \"The experienced team is building a category with the potential to grow far beyond individual studios,\" says Jochen Engert, co-founder of Flixbus. Engert believes the model is both aesthetically pleasing and effective, praising Soulhouse's strong branding, focus on customer needs, and high standards for staff qualifications. The €20 million growth funding is split among three investment groups: Schwarzkopf, Heinemann, and Völkers' Single Family Offices; senior BCG partners and private equity firms Partners Group and EQT Ventures; and London-based multi-family office Spheres, where Engert is a member. Schroeter states they've always envisioned a European rollout, not just a German one, and plans to expand internationally starting with Vienna and Palma de Mallorca, potentially reaching cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Milan. A standard studio with ten treatment tables costs around €400,000 to set up and is projected to break even within two years. Soulhouse's goal is to have over 100 studios across Europe by the end of 2030, leveraging external financing and potentially issuing bonds.",
  "summary": "Soulhouse bietet Massagen, Stretchingkurse und Kosmetik an – und erhält jetzt 20 Millionen Euro. Das Hamburger Start-up will damit den Markt in Europa professionalisieren.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}