LeBron, McIlroy, Ronaldo in $575m Whoop raise at $10bn valuation
LeBron James, Rory McIlroy and Cristiano Ronaldo are among a group of athletes part of a $575m raise that values wearable technology firm Whoop at $10.1bn.
The Series G funding round, raising over $500m, is led by the likes of the Audi Formula 1 investors Qatar Investment Authority and Saudi Aramco Oil Pipelines stakeholders the Mubadala Investment Company.
But a number of celebrity faces have participated too, with former Indiana Pacers shooter Reggie Miller, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, Ryder Cup winner Shane Lowry and One Direction pop star Niall Horan joining James, McIlroy and Ronaldo – some of whom have invested before.
The wearable technology sector was valued at more than $110bn in 2024 and could reach over $400bn by 2030, with companies such as Apple leading the charge amid greater interest in health monitoring and smartwatches.
“We plan to put our new capital to work immediately,” Whoop founder and chief executive Will Ahmed told Morning Wire.
“We’ve built a mature business, but it feels like we’re only just getting started. Our brand awareness still has room to grow in key markets. We view that as a clear opportunity.”
Whoop hit the news earlier this year after tennis players Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka were told to remove their trackers during matches at the Australian Open.
Ahmed described the ban as “ridiculous” at the time, despite concerns over the potential use of Whoop wristbands to collect data to help in commercial deal negotiations for players.
Whoop hit $10bn valuation
And the brand itself has faced some criticism from users over the price of a subscription and issues relating to the upgrading of hardware, but the latest fund raise suggests investors have not been put off.
Bookings grew by 103 per cent in 2025 with the firm closing last year at a $1.1bn run-rate. The tech brand is currently hiring for 600 new roles, with the Series G financing set to target further US growth and expansion across Europe, Latin America, the Gulf and Asia.
“We’ve been lucky to work with the world’s best athletes for over a decade.” New Yorker Ahmed added. “[But] we don’t have any immediate plans for another raise.
“This round was oversubscribed with strong investor demand, which puts us in a great position. We’re fortunate to be operating from a place of strength.
“We can control our own destiny and invest in growth, while retaining high confidence in our ability to execute and deliver results.”