Image: WHOOP
It was a massive week for WHOOP, and the high-performance movement in general.
To the moon. Touting itself as the “most valuable wearables company in the world,” WHOOP raised $200M in Series F funding at a $3.6B valuation. This investment follows a $100M Series E round from October of last year that valued the company at $1.2B.
Putting the capital to work, WHOOP CEO Will Ahmed said the company is eyeing international expansion and acquisitions among key objectives.
Wasting no time, two days later, the company announced it was acquiring PUSH — a wearable focused on strength training and velocity-based performance data.
What to watch for. Popular with athletes, strength coaches, and military operators, PUSH aligns with WHOOP’s focus on high performance, providing its cult-like userbase with more detailed data on weight training and functional fitness.
Of note, PUSH has also developed Portal, a remote training platform geared towards strength coaches. Looking ahead, WHOOP could leverage the data it collects to enter the coaching space, launching an athlete management software along the lines of TrueCoach or TrainingPeaks.
In related news: Last week, smart mattress maker Eight Sleep announced an $86M funding round to revolutionize sleep technology. From fitness trackers and glucose monitors to at-home test kits, health optimization startups are booming.
