NFL star befriended by Buffett invests in 'micro-gyms' concept Sandrine Rastello, Bloomberg News Ndamukong Suh , Getty Images Wilfred Valenta opened his first âmicro-gymâ almost two years ago, repurposing a 580-square-foot office space in downtown Montreal and renting it out by the hour to fitness trainers and small workout groups. He couldnât have known back then how fortuitous his timing was.
Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many big gyms to stay closed, his company, Silofit Inc., is rushing to scale up. After five openings since September, itâs adding a dozen locations in Toronto next year. Itâs also accelerating plans to enter the US$32 billion gym market in the U.S., backed by money from U.S. and Canadian venture capital firms and Ndamukong Suh, a defensive tackle for the NFLâs Tampa Bay Buccaneers who counts billionaire Warren Buffett as a friend and booster. And itâs preparing add-on services for fitness trainers, its core customers.