MASAJ bags £1.5 million to build UK’s first scaled massage brand and boost treatment table standards
MASAJ, a female founded London bodywork brand, has raised £1.5 million in a round co-led by FIGR Ventures and Sorven Capital, taking total funding to date to £2 million and powering new London studio openings over the next 12 months.
In recent years, specialist multi-site brands have already consolidated wellness categories from facials to nails and blow dries. MASAJ aims to be the first to do the same for massage. Its mission to build trust amongst both guests and therapists has seen the company report 90% therapist retention, 40% of customers returning monthly, revenue growth of 43% YoY, and partnerships with Nike, Gymshark and other luxury and wellness brands
FIGR Ventures becomes the first women led fund on MASAJ’s cap table, with Managing Director Fiona O’Callaghan joining the board.
MASAJ says that it has earned more than 15,000 five-star reviews on Fresha and Google, 40% of customers return monthly, and its revenue grew 43% year-on-year in FY24/25. Since launching on the high street in March 2021, it has delivered more than 110,000 hours of massage, and grown its footprint to three studios - the latest a June opening in Islington.
The funding will drive a new phase of business expansion, including team growth, new London locations over the next 12 months, and building working capital to keep opening at pace, with a longer-term ambition to build the category defining modern bodywork brand, first in the UK and then beyond.
Scarlet Amies, CEO and Co-founder at MASAJ, says: “London's wellness market is fragmented, with no trusted brand delivering consistently high quality massage at scale. We set out to fix that - with modern, welcoming studios that offer a crucial place for stillness, where every guest gets a brilliant treatment every time, and where therapists get stable, well-supported careers rather than gig economy instability. This funding will help us bring that to many more corners of London."
"When I set out to find aligned investors, my dream was a fund as invested in our mission as in our margins. We have two in FIGR and Sorven - mission driven funds who truly understand the product and the gap in the market, and back founders with more than capital. They're hands on, engaged and perfectly aligned with what we're building."
Fiona O’Callaghan, Managing Director at FIGR Ventures, comments: “Over the past decade, we’ve seen hyper-specialist brands transform one beauty and wellness category after another–but the massage industry was a huge gap, until MASAJ. Scarlet and Alice understood that the sector was in deep need of transformation and professionalisation and that’s exactly what they’re doing. When you treat therapists with care, they’re better set up to do their best for guests, building the consistency and trust that means they keep coming back–the foundation for a standout, scalable business.”
Mark Philip-Sorenson, CEO and Founder at Sorven Capital, says: "Massage has long needed the same professionalisation we've seen sweep through the rest of wellness. Scarlet and Alice aren't just building studios, they're building a career path, turning what's been a gig economy job into a role that's meaningful and valued. That's rare, and it's exactly the kind of team, with clear goals and real ambition, that we back at Sorven. We're excited to keep supporting them as they take this model to all corners of London and beyond."
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Beauty and wellness will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
