They want to change the world of Edinburgh fitness.
11:31, 20 Jan 2026Updated 16:55, 22 Jan 2026
Two entrepreneurial brothers are looking to change the world of fitness in the capital.
Adam Ball, 24, and Ethan Ball, 19, from Mayfield decided to go down opposing career paths when they left school. But their enterprising minds have brought them together with the creation of their app, Fit-Match.
The pair spotted a gap in the market in the fitness industry with both providers and users not able to access a one-stop-shop for their health needs. Ethan realised there was an opportunity to create something that would bring local fitness products together in one place.
Fit-Match aims to pull local PT services, running groups and other fitness activities in one spot so users are able to find exactly what they are looking for. That is where Adam came in with his software development skills to produce the tech they needed.
“That entrepreneurial drive has always been there for both of us,” Adam said. “Since high school, I’ve run a drone photography and web design business.
“During the lockdown, when gym equipment was impossible to find, we teamed up to manufacture and sell concrete weight plates to the local community.
“Even back in early high school, Ethan was the go to guy for sweets as he’d resell stock he had bought in town to classmates. It’s definitely in our DNA.”
Their concept aims to streamline the way people find what they need for their fitness journey locally. This has led to them building up the app with independent service providers such as PTs and local gyms in mind.
“It was a perfect storm of our two worlds colliding.,” Adam continued. “I wanted a project to push my software development skills, while Ethan was working in the fitness industry and seeing massive gaps in the market.
“We realized there wasn’t a streamlined way for people to find exactly what they needed locally. Over the last year, that initial spark has evolved into the platform Fit-Match is today.
“For the user, it’s about accessibility and discovery. You can download the app and instantly see every fitness option around you for free—from local running clubs to specialized gyms.
“For fitness professionals, it’s a game-changer. Many PTs are brilliant at what they do but struggle with the ‘business’ side like marketing and lead generation. Fit-Match acts as a one-stop shop for them to advertise and manage their growth, letting them focus on what they do best: getting people fit.
“We’ve both always shared the goal of building something of our own. We wanted a challenge that went beyond the 9-to-5, so when we identified this gap in the fitness market, we knew it was the right time to take the leap.
“I handle the technical side, building the architecture and the app itself. Whereas Ethan leads the way on market research and marketing strategy, ensuring the platform actually meets the needs of the fitness community.
“The learning curve has been steep. Even with six years of experience as a software engineer, building a full-scale app from the ground up on your own is a different beast.
“Beyond the technical side, the biggest challenge has been ‘feature creep.’ We have huge dreams for what Fit-Match could become, but we had to learn the discipline of deciding what is essential for Day One versus what we can build toward in the future.
“Currently, we are focused on growing Fit-Match alongside our existing careers. We’re both young and ambitious, so we see this as a way to ‘double down on our professional growth—building our careers while simultaneously scaling Fit-Match.”
The launch of the app has been a success, with around 30 fitness professionals in the Edinburgh area signing up for the app. Adam detailed how the app has been ‘validated’ with ‘excitement’ from those professionals.
Despite the relatively wrinkle free launch, the duo have still had to overcome the usual brotherly disagreements.
“Working together has been a great experience, though it definitely has its ‘interesting’ moments,” Adam said. “We don’t always see eye-to-eye on every feature or design choice, but we’ve learned how to debate an idea and reach a consensus that’s best for the business.
“But the most important thing we’ve done is set boundaries; we make sure we still hang out as brothers without letting ‘business talk’ take over our entire relationship.
“The support from those around us has also been overwhelming. Friends, family, and even colleagues have been our biggest advocates, sharing the idea and connecting us with the right people.
“Our family has been particularly hands-on, acting as our first ‘beta testers’ and giving us the honest feedback we needed during development.”
You can learn more about Fit-Match through their website here.