Dubai-based martial arts and holistic education platform GMNSM has raised $2 million in funding to accelerate its international expansion, with new locations planned across the GCC and Europe.
The round was backed by investment firm VEYRA Capital, whose portfolio includes Dwelly, ZINIT and DVC, alongside a private investor. The fresh capital will support the opening of GMNSM’s first academy in Riyadh and its first European location in Monaco.
Founded in Dubai in 2022 by professional athlete-turned-entrepreneur Andrej Kuprejev, GMNSM has grown to 11 academies across the UAE, Qatar and Cyprus, serving more than 700 children and adults. Its programmes combine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, judo and gymnastics with a broader approach to personal and social development.
As part of its expansion, the company plans to increase its workforce from 40 to 60 employees by the end of the year.
Combining martial arts with child development
Rather than positioning itself solely as a martial arts academy, GMNSM operates at the intersection of sports, supplementary education and child development.
Its signature programme combines one hour of physical training with an additional 30 minutes focused on soft skills, including goal setting, emotional resilience, reflection and problem-solving.
GMNSM accepts children from the age of two through structured development programmes, while also offering martial arts classes for adults. The company says its family-focused model has helped it build communities where parents frequently begin training after enrolling their children.
“We are seeing a massive cultural and educational shift towards more balanced childhoods, where physical activity, confidence and real-world social interaction complement digital learning,” said Kuprejev, Founder and CEO of GMNSM.
AI-powered quality control
Technology is also becoming part of GMNSM’s strategy for scaling its academy network.
The company has developed Allim AI, an internal lesson audit platform designed to analyse coaching performance, student engagement and retention metrics. The system provides coaches with feedback while helping GMNSM standardise teaching quality across different academies and markets.
The technology is intended to address one of the key challenges facing education and training businesses as they expand internationally: maintaining a consistent customer experience while rapidly adding locations and coaches.
Riyadh and Monaco lead international expansion
Saudi Arabia will become one of GMNSM’s primary growth markets, beginning with its first academy in Riyadh. The company expects the location to serve as a foundation for further expansion across the Kingdom.
GMNSM is also preparing to enter Monaco, marking the next stage of its European expansion. The company selected the market for its concentration of international families and its potential as a gateway to other European markets.
Following Monaco, GMNSM plans further expansion into the UK, Switzerland and Spain.
“What convinced us about GMNSM was the combination of a strong founder, clear customer value and a model that can travel across markets without losing the quality of the underlying experience,” said Konstantin Katsev, Venture Partner at VEYRA Capital.
The investment comes as technology, education and wellness increasingly converge around new models for extracurricular learning. For GMNSM, the $2 million round provides the capital to test whether a model developed in Dubai can translate into a broader international education and sports platform.
