DUBAI: Dubai-based martial arts and holistic education network GMNSM has raised $2 million in funding from investment firm VEYRA Capital, whose portfolio includes companies Dwelly, ZINIT and DVC, as well as a private investor. The investment will support the company’s first academy in Riyadh and the launch of its first European location in Monaco, supporting its ambition to broaden the Dubai-developed model to international markets. Founded in 2022 by professional athlete-turned-entrepreneur Andrej Kuprejev, GMNSM has grown into a network of 11 academies across the UAE, Qatar and Cyprus. The firm serves more than 700 children and adults through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, judo, gymnastics and holistic development programs. It plans to increase its workforce from 40 to 60 employees by the end of the year. Kuprejev said in a press release recently: “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. “At GMNSM, our goal has always been to create an environment where children develop discipline, resilience and the life skills they need to thrive, alongside athletic ability. That’s why we’re bringing this model to more families across the GCC and Europe.” GMNSM aims to be at the intersection of sports, supplementary education and child development, with its signature program combining one hour of physical training with 30 minutes dedicated to soft skills such as goal setting, emotional resilience, reflection and problem solving. GMNSM accepts children from age 2 through structured development programs and also offers adult martial arts classes. Parents can also join after enrolling their children, with this family-oriented opportunity looking to create a community where sport becomes a shared experience across generations.Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum Al-Maktoum, a relative of a GMNSM student, said: “We chose GMNSM because we wanted our child to develop skills that go beyond sport, confidence, discipline and resilience. “The biggest difference we have seen is that training has become a source of personal growth, not just physical activity. GMNSM has created a community where children feel supported, challenged and motivated to improve.”Using AI to maintain quality at scale To ensure consistent coaching standards across every academy, GMNSM has invested and developed its own lesson audit platform Allim AI. This platform analyzes coaching performance, student engagement, and retention metrics aimed at standardizing teaching quality and providing coaches with actionable feedback. The platform is designed to support rapid scaling without compromising the consistency of the student experience across multiple markets.Scaling a Dubai-born education model The company sees Saudi Arabia as its next major growth market, with its first Riyadh academy expected to serve as a foundation for broader expansion across the Kingdom. In 2025, Saudi Arabia reported that 59.1 percent of adults met the recommended threshold of 150 minutes of weekly physical activity, exceeding the 2025 target of 55 percent, while physical activity among children aged 5 to 17 reached 19 percent, achieving the target originally set for 2030. Monaco will become GMNSM’s next European location, chosen for its concentration of international families and position as a gateway to broader continental growth. Further expansions are set for the UK, Switzerland, and Spain. Konstantin Katsev, Venture Partner at VEYRA Capital, said: “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. “At VEYRA Capital, we also pay close attention to how businesses are built, the quality of execution, the discipline behind growth and the ability to create lasting value. “Andrej and his team have demonstrated that, and we believe this round can help them turn a proven concept into a much larger international platform.”