Cristiano Ronaldo’s fitness empire is growing.
What’s happening: The Portuguese soccer legend unveiled AVA, a recovery tech business formed in partnership with Brazilian equipment manufacturer Avanutri.
Targeting athletes, its range includes red light therapy boots, massage guns, and cold plunges.
CR7 Inc. Nearing the end of his playing career, Ronaldo has become an active fitness mogul, launching wellness app called ERAKULIS and investing in WHOOP and BIONIQ.
Through AVA, the striker enters a recovery tech arms race already in progress.
Go go gadget. Massage gun pioneers, Hyperice debuted co-branded athlete-focused inventions with Nike, while Therabody is delving into beauty and self-care.
Getting in the game, equipment maker Echelon acquired ThriveX, gaining cold plunges, compression boots, and sauna blankets. Tech to watch, red light therapy wearables from Kineon and Lumaflex promise holistic healing from pain.
Bad blood. A year ago, Hyperice filed sweeping patent suits against Therabody and other tech makers, threatening new entrants.
Takeaway: Appealing to athletes, Cristiano Ronaldo’s longevity speaks for itself. But, priced above its competition, AVA will need to prove it’s a cut above to break in.
