Bregal Sagemount, a growth-focused private equity firm, has announced a strategic investment in Spark Membership, a Tampa, Florida-based company specializing in vertically integrated membership management software and embedded payments solutions tailored for martial arts studios.
Founded in 2017, Spark Membership provides a unified software and payments solution designed to assist owner-operated martial arts studios in streamlining operations, increasing revenue, and improving member engagement. The company currently serves over 2,000 customers internationally and processes more than $750 million in annual payments through its platform. This platform includes core business management software, its proprietary payments infrastructure known as “Spark Payments,” and managed marketing services under the “Ignite” brand.
Grandmaster Cheong Park (“GMP”) and Ron Sell, Co-Founders of Spark, expressed confidence in the partnership. They stated, “We strongly believe that Sagemount is the right partner for the next chapter of Spark. Their experience in scaling founder-led software businesses and shared belief in building with authenticity made this an easy decision for us, and we’re incredibly excited to continue delivering for our community alongside our new partners.”Bregal Sagemount, which manages over $7.5 billion in cumulative capital, focuses on providing flexible capital and strategic assistance to market-leading companies across various high-growth sectors, including software, financial technology, and business services.
Gene Yoon, Managing Partner at Bregal Sagemount, commented on the investment, saying, “Spark has built an exceptional business by combining product depth, operational excellence, and a strong community brand. We’ve long admired the company’s capital-efficient growth, outstanding retention metrics, and customer-first ethos. We’re excited to support GMP, Ron, and the broader Spark team as they scale the platform and deepen their leadership in the martial arts market.”Gurmaan Bhatia, a Principal at Bregal Sagemount, further elaborated on Spark’s impact, noting, “Having built Spark as martial arts studio owners themselves, GMP and Ron have quickly scaled the platform to become the de facto core operating system for owners across all types of martial arts such as Taekwondo, Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, Krav Maga, Kung Fu, and other modern practices. We’re thrilled to be their partners and have the opportunity to help extend their offering for the martial arts ecosystem as it continues to evolve.”As part of the investment, Gene Yoon, Gurmaan Bhatia, and Ershad Jamil, who previously served as Chief Growth Officer of ServiceTitan, will join Spark’s board of directors. The specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Goodwin Procter LLP provided legal counsel to Sagemount, while Raymond James acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Spark.
