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Runkeeper, the last independent health and fitness app, has also been acquired by the Japanese sports equipment company and footwear firm, Asics. "Through this acquisition," Asics says in its press release, "Asics will be able to establish a one-to-one marketing channel utilizing user data including fitness information and obtain a digital technology development platform that is led by a management team with extensive experiences in this field."

"Partnering with Asics to fulfill this vision together makes a ton of sense," Runkeeper says in a new blog post. "We both have deep roots in and focus on running as a core component of the fitness experience. There is strong alignment between our brands and core values. And from people using our Shoe Tracker feature in the app, we know that Asics shoes are by far the ones that Runkeeper users run in the most!"

Asics is a popular brand known for its running shoes and sports apparel. The Japanese company also has a training app of its own. The company shared through their blogpost that they will use Runkeeper's technology to introduce a marketing channel that works one-to-one. This way, they will be able to take advantage of "user data including fitness information and obtain a digital technology development platform that is led by a management team with extensive experiences in this field."

"With the addition of FitnessKeeper into the Asics Group, we expect to further support customers' fun and healthy experiences and lifestyle through sports by providing new contents and cutting edge services utilizing advanced digital technology," reported NDTV Gadgets

While Runkeeper is free to use, the users have the option to upgrade it to premium for $9.95. Last summer, Runkeeper made an announcement that they have cut 30% of its staff so that they can concentrate on generating more revenue than attracting more users, which Asics will also be able to help achieve for the company.

Many fitness clothing companies have been acquiring companies for a while now. In the last one year, Under Armour acquired MyFitnessPal and Adidas bought Runtastic, says AppAdvice