Gymdesk Buys Smoothcomp: What Smoothcomp Connect Means for Academies With Competition Teams
For most academies, training records and competition records have lived in two different places. Attendance, belt rank and billing sit in the gym software; registrations, brackets and results sit in the tournament platform. On October 6, 2026, one of the gym software companies bought the biggest tournament platform in grappling and joined the two. If you run a competition team, this changes how much of that work you still do by hand.
The facts in brief
- The deal: Gymdesk announced on October 6, 2026, that it has acquired Smoothcomp. The acquisition closed earlier in 2026. Terms were not disclosed. Five Elms Capital, which counts Gymdesk as a portfolio company, backed the deal.
- Smoothcomp: founded in 2015 in Stenungsund, Sweden. It runs roughly 200 tournaments every weekend and is used by more than 80,000 academies worldwide. Organizers on the platform include ADCC, NAGA, Grappling Industries, UFC BJJ, AJP and USA Judo.
- Gymdesk: founded in 2016, used by more than 4,500 gyms in 34 countries.
- The product: Smoothcomp Connect, launched the same day and included in every Gymdesk plan. A free Coach Companion app is available to any coach at a Smoothcomp event.
What Smoothcomp Connect does
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Find Events | Smoothcomp events appear inside Gymdesk, filtered by sport, date and distance. Coaches can endorse specific events for their team. |
| Register | Members register through a form pre-filled with their Gymdesk details and filed under the correct gym. |
| Record Achievements | Results and podiums sync to the gym dashboard and member profiles, alongside belt rank and attendance. Competition history from before the gym connected is included. |
| Coach Companion | A free iOS and Android app for competition day. It assigns a coach, assistant or parent to each athlete and flags any match without one. |
Gymdesk says Connect starts with martial arts and will extend to other sports.
What has not changed
Smoothcomp keeps its own brand, its founders still lead it, and organizers keep running events on it as they do now, according to the announcement. Martin Janson, Smoothcomp’s CEO and co-founder, said: “As one company, we keep building for organizers and athletes.”
The announcement does not say whether academies on other gym software will get a similar integration, or on what terms. If you are not on Gymdesk, ask your own software vendor that question directly.
Why the software companies care: retention
Gymdesk CEO Alex Cuevas put the business case in one sentence: “When martial arts gym members compete, they stay longer.” Owners have known a version of that for decades. A student with a date on the calendar, whether a belt test or a tournament, has a reason to keep training through the weeks when motivation dips.
The software automates the logistics around that goal. It does not create the goal. An academy that never asks students to set one will get a cleaner dashboard and the same dropout rate.
Questions to ask before competition season
- Who sees a minor’s results? Results and podiums now flow into member profiles, including history from before your gym connected. Check who on your staff can see that data, and whether parents can.
- Does your competition policy match the tool? If coaches can endorse events, decide in writing which events your academy endorses, who is ready to compete, and what the academy covers. An endorsement is a recommendation families will take seriously.
- Is every child supervised? The Coach Companion flags matches without an assigned adult. Make it academy policy that no minor competes without a named coach or parent, whether or not you use the app.
- Which ruleset are you coaching to? Easier registration makes it easier to enter events run under different rules. The same student may face IBJJF, ADCC-style or UFC BJJ scoring within a few months.
- Can you get your data out? As gym software and tournament data merge, ask any vendor how you export member and competition records if you ever switch.
For more on the competition calendar, see our coverage of UFC BJJ Opens and the IBJJF rank rules your academy has to follow.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Smoothcomp now?
Gymdesk, the martial arts and gym management software company, which announced the acquisition on October 6, 2026. Smoothcomp keeps its brand and its founders still lead it.
What is Smoothcomp Connect?
An integration inside Gymdesk that lets coaches find and endorse Smoothcomp events, register members with pre-filled details, and see results and podiums on member profiles and the gym dashboard.
Does Smoothcomp Connect cost extra?
No. Gymdesk says it is included in every Gymdesk plan, and the Coach Companion app is free.
Will tournaments still run on Smoothcomp?
Yes. According to the announcement, organizers keep running events on Smoothcomp as they do now.
Sources
- Gymdesk, “Gymdesk Acquires Smoothcomp, Launches Smoothcomp Connect,” October 6, 2026.
- EIN Presswire, “Gymdesk Acquires Smoothcomp, Connecting Training and Competition for Martial Arts and Combat Sports.”
Company figures (tournaments per weekend, academies, gyms and countries) are as stated by the companies and have not been independently verified.
