Tech Insights

FizzUp: How technology supports preventive healthcare

The fitness app market is crowded. Finding a workout app is easy. Finding one that offers something different is harder. Many platforms focus on appearance, intense performance goals and influencers. This summer, I spoke with Kirsty Hood, Managing Director of FizzUp. Her company's approach shows that fitness technology can follow a different path while building a successful business.

Founded in Colmar, France, in 2011, FizzUp shows how a small team can reach a global audience. With just 13 specialists, the platform has supported more than 7 million users in France and worldwide. It offers over 250 training programmes and 1,500 exercise videos.
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In April 2022, FizzUp made an important strategic decision. It joined forces with Siel Bleu, a European non-profit network with more than 800 employees. Siel Bleu specialises in adapted physical activity for older people, people with health conditions and those who need additional support.
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This partnership brought software expertise and practical healthcare experience together. Technology was no longer just a way to deliver online fitness programmes. It became a tool for preventive healthcare. Today, FizzUp focuses on inclusive physical activity and prevention rather than physical performance alone.

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A different approach to digital fitness

Most fitness apps encourage users to stay active by setting performance targets. FizzUp takes a different approach. Its programmes draw on research into adapting physical activity to each person's abilities.

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A product designed around health needs

At the heart of FizzUp's software is an algorithm that predicts and adjusts exercise intensity. It assesses each user's fitness level to recommend the right exercises and number of repetitions.
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Rather than offering the same workout to everyone, the app creates a personalised programme. It takes the user's physical abilities and limits into account. This approach reflects FizzUp's focus on inclusive fitness.
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Its partnership with Siel Bleu has also strengthened the platform. Siel Bleu's teams support nearly 150,000 people each week. This practical experience gives FizzUp access to real-world use cases from healthcare and social care. The result is a digital platform focused on wellbeing and preventive healthcare through physical activity.

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Expanding into B2B: Businesses and schools

Helping people exercise at home is one part of FizzUp's business. The next step is bringing physical activity into workplaces and schools. FizzUp recently developed FizzUp Business, an offering for organisations that want to make physical activity part of the employee experience.
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The goal goes beyond individual online fitness coaching. It gives businesses a way to encourage movement, support employee wellbeing and bring teams together during the working day.

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An open software architecture built for integration

Expanding a digital product into new markets requires careful technical planning. A platform originally built for individual consumers must adapt when it starts serving businesses, insurers and educational organisations. This is a common challenge for software companies moving from B2C to B2B.

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FizzUp's engineering team has developed modules that make its software easier to integrate into other platforms. Using APIs and SDKs, insurers, health insurance providers and pharmaceutical companies can embed FizzUp's TrainingKit into their own digital products.

One example is Expansciences, a pharmaceutical and dermocosmetics company. This approach reflects a principle we often see in our software engineering projects at Novity: the value of software increasingly depends on how well it connects with other systems. A software company does not need to bring every user onto its own platform. Instead, it can build reliable APIs and make its technology available through services that customers already use. This creates a smoother digital experience.
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One platform, multiple use cases

FizzUp's flexible architecture allows it to serve very different audiences. In schools, for example, the interface has been adapted for teachers. They can start a short exercise session lasting 5 to 10 minutes with a single click. No preparation is needed.
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FizzUp is also available across several platforms, including iOS, Android, web browsers and Smart TVs. More recently, its content has become accessible through Prime Video. Supporting so many platforms creates technical challenges.
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Each environment has different requirements. Updates must work correctly, and users expect a consistent experience. Maintaining quality across these platforms requires thorough testing and reliable deployment processes. Software companies can manage this through an experienced internal engineering team or with support from a technology and mobile development partner.

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Why data is central to preventive healthcare

Developing software for preventive healthcare involves more than creating personalised exercise programmes. FizzUp also wants to use the data generated by its platform to demonstrate the health benefits of its approach through scientific evidence.
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This creates new technical responsibilities. Whether a solution supports workplace health and safety on construction sites or employee wellbeing programmes, it must manage personal information carefully.
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Data infrastructure needs to be reliable. Access must be controlled, and users need confidence that their information is protected. Data security is essential to building trust in digital health services. FizzUp shows that fitness technology can do more than track performance.
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With the right software architecture, it can make physical activity more accessible and support preventive healthcare. For technology companies working in digital health, these goals create complex engineering challenges. Whether the priority is improving data reliability or scaling a platform with a distributed engineering team, success depends on strong technical expertise.

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Company spotlight

→ Company: FizzUp
→ Leadership: Kirsty Hood ,CEO.
→ Industry: Software / Digital Health / Wellbeing Services
→ Why FizzUp stands out : FizzUp takes a different approach to the fitness app market. Rather than focusing on appearance or intense physical performance, it uses technology to make exercise accessible to more people, including those with health conditions or physical limitations. By combining a people-focused mission with strong software engineering, FizzUp shows how digital products can support health and wellbeing. That's what makes it one of Xavier's Tech Insights.

Sources

Capital Magazine - FizzUp Recognised as One of the Top 500 Online Platforms in the Sports Category
BiG Media Bpifrance - 5 French Startups Aiming to Get Us Back into Sport
Point Eco Alsace - FizzUp: How Technology Is Strengthening Healthcare

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a fitness app and a digital health platform?

A traditional fitness app usually offers standard workout programmes and focuses on physical performance or appearance. A digital health platform takes a broader approach. It supports prevention and adapts physical activity to each user's needs. These may include age, health conditions and fitness level. This changes how the software works. Its algorithms must adjust exercise intensity to suit individual abilities rather than simply deliver standard workouts.

How can a B2C App expand into the B2B market?

Moving from B2C to B2B often requires changes to the software architecture. Businesses and schools need different ways to access and use a product. This may involve developing secure APIs and SDKs, as well as supporting new platforms such as web applications and Smart TVs. At Novity, we regularly help software companies adapt their architecture as their products and business models evolve.

What are the main data security challenges in digital fitness coaching?

Fitness applications may process personal information such as age, weight and physical limitations. Some of this information may qualify as sensitive health data. Protecting it requires secure databases, controlled access and appropriate data anonymisation. These requirements are especially important in HealthTech. Since 2022, Novity has supported a leading digital pathology company in managing critical patient data.

How can software quality be maintained across multiple platforms?

Supporting mobile apps, web browsers, smartwatches and connected TVs requires a modular software architecture. The core business logic should be separate from the user interface. This makes it easier to update each platform without affecting the entire system. Engineering teams also need clear testing and deployment processes. At Novity, we help French technology companies organise their engineering teams and manage software delivery. We combine specialised internal talent with external experts to keep development reliable and projects on track.

Rapid growth or strategic partnership: Which model works best for healthTech?

HealthTech companies often choose between two growth strategies. The first involves raising funds and acquiring other businesses to grow faster. The second focuses on forming strategic partnerships. Both approaches can work, depending on the company's goals. FizzUp chose to partner with Siel Bleu to stay close to its original values and mission. In HealthTech, success ultimately depends on the impact a product has on its users. The most important factor is not how growth is financed. It is how well the company's technology, values and product vision work together. This alignment helps create meaningful and lasting benefits for users.