Dubai’s elegant hoopoe Introduces AI Driven Franchise Architecture to the UK amid Shifts in the 890 Billion Dollar Global Franchise Market
Krissy Vann | Host, All Things Fitness and Wellness
Dubai headquartered wellness franchise elegant hoopoe has announced its entry into the UK, bringing an AI governed approach to franchise operations that differs from the traditional manual based systems commonly used across the global sector.
The company reports that its health tech ecosystem has delivered more than 30,000 treatments to date and indicates that its existing sites have produced returns in the range of 32 to 38 percent internal rate of return with an average payback period of three and a half years. The UK launch represents the next step in a broader expansion strategy that includes Europe, North America and the Middle East.
The global franchise industry surpassed 890 billion dollars in 2024, and operators across sectors continue to adjust to post COVID shifts in consumer expectations, staffing challenges and regulatory requirements. In parallel, demand for longevity and evidence based wellness services has grown within the United Kingdom, contributing to a wider interest in new operational frameworks and technology enabled clinic models.
elegant hoopoe uses what it calls the SEGA architecture, or Strategic Ecosystem Growth Architecture. The system treats a franchise network as a series of interconnected functions designed to adapt in real time. The company’s HoopoeSense AI engine supports this structure by automating elements of compliance across GDPR, HIPAA and NABIDH and by updating network wide protocols when new operational data becomes available. According to the company, this approach has enabled clinic launches in as little as six weeks, compared with industry timelines that often extend several months.
“The franchise industry runs on a 1960s operating system,” said Shahriar Shahir Barzegar, founder and CEO of elegant hoopoe. “We are not incrementally improving the manual, we are replacing it with intelligence. When a clinic in Dubai discovers a better protocol, our AI distributes that knowledge across the entire network within 48 hours. That is not possible with PDFs and training videos.”
The company states that a white paper outlining its SEGA architecture and AI enabled governance model is currently under peer review at Harvard University. Findings from the paper are expected to examine how adaptive digital systems may influence future franchise structures.
During the COVID 19 period, the company reports that its modular, AI governed design supported rapid changes to patient pathways, telehealth routing and supply chain coordination. According to elegant hoopoe, these updates occurred without manual intervention, highlighting a central aspect of the model in which operational changes are automated rather than implemented site by site.
As the company progresses with its UK expansion, elegant hoopoe positions its model as one example of how AI supported infrastructure may function within wellness franchising. The approach enters a market where multiple franchise systems are exploring digital tools to improve oversight, efficiency and regulatory alignment.
