A chunky success in lean times

Nacho Larriba was 16 years old when he took a liking to the gym. He learnt all the secrets to these "temples" of fitness, where people shoot subtle glances at their neighbors, comparing their biceps, abs and the like.

"I soon realized that not everyone managed to lose weight. On the one hand, not everyone has the means to pay for a gym membership, and on the other, people who do go aren't so forthcoming about their true habits due to a fear of being judged for a lack of physical activity," Larriba explains.

The 31-year-old Madrid native, with his captivating smile and youthful vitality, studied computer engineering on a grant at Comillas University, followed by a stint at the Madrid Polytechnic. Even in his student days, he had always dreamt of owning his own business.

On the verge of dropping out of university and starting his own gym, his girlfriend, Virginia, and one of his professors urged him to bring an idea he had been nurturing to life: to create a brain simulator capable of designing personalized exercise programs according to the specific needs of each user.

I've had the door shut in my face 99 million times, but not the other million"

He had an idea, the motivation and a couple of friends on hand who were prepared to help him launch the business. The only ingredient missing was capital. He was resolved not to let this hold him back, and if the banks refused to give him a loan, he was prepared to go door to door, office to office, until he could convince someone to invest in his brainchild.

He took advantage of the material the university discarded, which included container upon container of monitors, screens, chairs, tables and CPUs. With this and the meager sum of 3,006 euros, he launched Airfit, a business which today consists of 14 employees and is worth over $5 million (approximately 4.10 million euros).

Due to tools such as those offered by Amazon, Airfit has managed to establish an international presence. The interest of the gym world quickly followed. This Artificial Intelligence brain simulator is capable of programming a pilates class for a pregnant 30-year-old or designing an exercise regime for a 50-year-old smoker leading a sedentary lifestyle, all in three seconds. Nacho now plans to introduce Airfit to the worlds of videogaming, social networking and phone and tablet applications.

His is a story of ambition, perseverance and optimism. "I've had the door shut in my face 99 million times, but not the other million," says the proud businessman, who has already rejected several offers from potential buyers.

The value of the company he has built transcends the monetary rewards. It lies in the satisfaction he has experienced watching it grow, and those who have helped along its evolution - all of this even more extraordinary considering the current economic climate in Spain.