LeBron, Ronaldo Back Apple Watch Rival Whoop in $575 Million Raise

TLDR

• Whoop raised $575 million in a Series G round, reaching a $10.1 billion valuation
• Investors include Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Qatar Investment Authority, and Mayo Clinic
• The company grew bookings 103% year over year and was cash flow positive in 2025
• Whoop now has 2.5 million members and a $1.1 billion bookings run rate
• The company plans to grow its workforce by up to 75%, hinting at a possible IPO ahead

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Whoop, the Boston-based fitness wearable company, has raised $575 million in a Series G funding round. The raise values the company at $10.1 billion, up from $3.6 billion after its 2021 funding round.

The round was led by Collaborative Fund. Other investors include Qatar Investment Authority, Mubadala Investment Company, Abbott Laboratories, Mayo Clinic, Macquarie Capital, and GP Bullhound.

Several high-profile athletes also joined as individual investors. Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Rory McIlroy, Reggie Miller, Niall Horan, and Virgil van Dijk all participated in the round.

Whoop was founded in 2012 by Will Ahmed. The company makes a screenless fitness band that tracks recovery, sleep, and physical strain around the clock.

The device does not show notifications or act as a smartwatch. That sets it apart from products like the Apple Watch, which combines fitness tracking with smartphone features.

Whoop uses a subscription model. The band itself comes included with membership, which costs $239 per year as of early 2026.

Strong Growth Numbers

The company reported 103% year-over-year growth in bookings. It closed 2025 with a bookings run rate of $1.1 billion and was operating cash flow positive.

Whoop now has 2.5 million members. The company has raised over $950 million in total funding to date.

New Products and Medical Features

Whoop recently launched its Whoop 5.0 and a new model called Whoop MG. The MG version received FDA clearance for medical-grade ECG and blood pressure monitoring.

The platform also uses an AI tool called Whoop Coach, which gives personalized training advice based on each user’s data.

Whoop’s closest rival in the wearable health space is Oura Health, maker of the Oura Ring. Oura completed a funding round last fall that brought its valuation to $11 billion.

Whoop currently employs nearly 800 full-time staff. The company plans to increase headcount by up to 75%, with over 600 new roles across software, hardware, sales, and marketing.

That hiring push has raised speculation about a potential IPO. The company has not confirmed any plans to go public.

At its current $10.1 billion valuation, Whoop sits just below Shield AI at $10.4 billion and Kraken at $10.5 billion on the list of most valuable private companies, according to Yahoo Finance data.

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