Hybrid Fitness Media has reported that FitLab-owned Ragnar Relay faced vendor allegations of unpaid invoices, that FitLab employees experienced delayed payroll deposits, and that Hughes-Nelson Painting Inc. sued FitLab for nearly $1 million over unpaid Nike Studios construction work.
FitLab closed a $15 million Series A financing round in January 2022, with plans to open 500 fitness studios by 2025. “Until FitLab, nothing was built from the ground up to provide truly holistic, immersive, connected experiences across the fitness continuum,” Co-CEO Brian Kirkbride said at the time.
In March 2024, Atlas Credit Partners announced a $65 million strategic financing facility to fund FitLab’s acquisition of Assault Fitness, with approximately $35 million funded at closing. “We’re thrilled to secure the financing from Atlas to allow us to accelerate our expansion and offer our integrated platform to a broader audience seeking unparalleled fitness experiences,” FitLab Co-CEO Mike Melby said at the time.
As of this reporting, none of Assault Fitness’s core equipment lineup, including its air bikes, treadmills, and rowers, is listed as available for purchase on the company’s website. All display a ‘Sold Out’ status.
Public records show FitLab has since faced mounting financial and legal pressure. The Internal Revenue Service filed a federal tax lien against FitLab Inc. on July 17, 2023, according to records with the California Secretary of State. The lien totals $775,833.28, the majority of it tied to unpaid quarterly payroll taxes (IRS Form 941) for tax periods stretching from the first quarter of 2020 through the third quarter of 2022. Two additional federal tax liens were filed against FitLab in 2024, according to the same records.
Since March 2026, FitLab has also taken on financing from at least two merchant cash advance companies, Parkview Advance LLC and Thoro Corp, according to UCC filings recorded with the state. Merchant cash advances are typically higher-cost, short-term financing arrangements used by businesses that are unable to access conventional bank credit.
One of those 2026 filings came from BLUE51156, LLC, a Wyoming-registered lender whose ownership could not be independently determined. Court records show BLUE51156 sued FitLab in Orange County Superior Court in December 2024, alleging breach of contract tied to unpaid promissory notes. According to FitLab’s own sworn answer in the case, FitLab and Fitplan Technologies, Inc. had signed promissory notes in 2023 totaling roughly $2.75 million with Arod Fit Holdco, LLC, guaranteed by FitLab as “Parent” under the note terms. FitLab admitted that Fitplan failed to repay the notes by their April 2023 maturity date, and that the balance remained unpaid as of the date the complaint was filed in December 2024.
The case was settled in April 2026. It was dismissed without prejudice, with the court retaining jurisdiction to enforce the settlement under California Code of Civil Procedure section 664.6. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed in the court file.
Kirkbride previously disputed Hybrid Fitness Media’s earlier reporting in a direct message, stating it contained “confidential information, some of which is false and damaging,” and offered to discuss further. He did not respond to a follow-up request asking which specific claims were inaccurate, and has not responded to requests for comment on the reporting in this article.
Hybrid Fitness Media is continuing to investigate FitLab’s financial and legal position and will publish further reporting as it develops.