GMNSM raises $2 million and deploys AI to ensure training quality ahead of expansion in Riyadh and Europe
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UAE-based GMNSM, a martial arts and holistic education network, has raised $2 million in a funding round led by VEYRA Capital, with participation from a private investor, to support its expansion across Gulf and European markets.
Founded in 2022 by former athlete Andrei Kupriazhev, the company currently operates 11 academies across the UAE, Qatar, and Cyprus, serving more than 700 children and adults. The company plans to use the fresh funding to open its first jiu-jitsu academy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, establish its first European presence in the Principality of Monaco ahead of entries into the UK, Switzerland, and Spain, and expand its workforce from 40 to 60 employees before the end of 2026.
The academy's model combines physical training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, and gymnastics with soft-skills development programs for children as young as two years old, where each training session pairs an hour of athletic activity with 30 minutes dedicated to emotional resilience, goal setting, reasoning, and problem solving, alongside adult classes that have encouraged parents to join and share athletic activities with their children.
The primary challenge for supplementary education and coaching networks lies in maintaining consistent standards when expanding into new markets and opening multiple branches.To address this operational challenge, the company developed an in-house session auditing platform called Allim AI, which analyses coach performance, student engagement levels, and retention rates to standardize coaching quality and provide instructors with ongoing evaluative feedback, enabling rapid expansion without compromising the consistency of the learning experience.
The expansion into the Saudi market comes amid marked shifts in physical activity metrics, with 2025 data showing that 59.1% of adults in the Kingdom reached the recommended 150 minutes of weekly physical activity, surpassing the 55% target, while physical activity rates among children aged 5 to 17 reached around 19%, achieving the target previously set for 2030 ahead of schedule.
Artificial intelligence systems in regional education and sports sectors are shifting from external-facing interfaces to internal governance tools that regulate operational efficiency and monitor service quality in real time.This model is altering how academies and training centers across the Gulf, Egypt, and the wider region are managed, as geographic expansion and branch networks are no longer governed solely by in-person inspections; instead, deploying algorithmic analysis of staff performance and trainee engagement has become a core standard for reducing service variance and protecting returns on investment for sports and education subscription businesses.
The investment reflects growing venture capital interest in companies combining education, technology, and recurring membership models, driven by rising spending among regional families on personal development programs and balanced physical activity for their children.