Wearable firm backed by Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry raises €500m in funding

The fitness wearable firm currently employs 150 people at its Limerick headquarters

Whoop founder and chief executive Will Ahmed with singer Niall Horan who invested in the company in the latest round of funding.

Fitness wearable firm Whoop — which is backed by sports stars such as Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry — have raised $575m (€500m) in its latest funding round as it plans further expansions to its Limerick headquarters.

The latest funding round values the company at $10.1bn. The round was led by Collaborative Fund and included a number of investment entities from around the world.

Individual Irish investors in the round include Rory McIlroy, Niall Horan and Shane Lowry, as well as global high-profile athletes Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, and Virgil van Dijk.

Whoop already announced 600 new roles globally as part of its growth plans, including further expansion of its headquarters in Limerick, which currently employs 150 people, as it continues to scale internationally.

Proceeds from this funding round will fuel further US growth and international expansion across Europe, the gulf region, Latin America, and Asia.

Chief executive of Whoop, Will Ahmed, said the funding “brings together the world’s most sophisticated investors, leading health institutions, and iconic global athletes behind the mission to unlock human performance and health span”.

“We are building the personal health platform that people use to improve their health and livelihood.” 

Whoop sells a wearable wristband that tracks a number of health metrics and offers subscriptions ranging from €199 a year to €399 a year. The company claims to have 2.5 million members around the world with its 2025 books increasing by 103% resulting in an estimated revenue for the year of $1.1bn.