Founder: Will Ahmed (CEO)
Launched: 2012
Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
Funding: $1 billion
Valuation: $10.1 billion
Key Technologies: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, machine learning, Internet of Things
Industry: Consumer technology, health care
Previous appearances on Disruptor 50 list: 0
The business of health, fitness and longevity is booming, and Whoop is tracking alongside it.
Founded in 2012, the Boston-based company's wrist device has looked to set itself apart from other wearables in the market in a variety of ways, from its screen-free design, to 14 days of battery life, and its heavy focus on health guidance.
Those features and more have helped put Whoop on the wrists of some of the world's most notable athletes such as LeBron James, Rory Mcllroy and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as millions of others looking for additional insights about their recovery, resilience and long-term health.
In March, Whoop said it had more than 2.5 million members that subscribe to one of its annual memberships. Bookings for the company grew 103% for the year, ending 2025 at a $1.1 billion run rate. It also finished last year cash flow positive.
The company raised $575 million in Series G funding at a $10.1 billion valuation, funding that Whoop founder and CEO Will Ahmed told CNBC would be used for global growth and further investment.
"We're going to be investing a lot in growth and marketing over the next year," Ahmed said. "We're going to be building our brand awareness, we're going to be investing a lot in innovation, research and AI."
All of that investment will be critical in what is becoming an increasingly crowded wearables market including fitness trackers from companies like Garmin, smartwatches from Apple and Samsung, and tracking rings from fellow 2026 Disruptor Oura. In May, Google launched a new screen-less Fitbit as a clear competitor to Whoop.
Asked what sets Whoop apart from other wearable options, Ahmed told CNBC that Whoop "is a very focused health device."
Unlike Apple Watch and many other wearables, Whoop's device is typically FSA-eligible.
"You never need to take it off to understand your overall health, and what we've been able to do is create a platform that give you a set of scores and experiences that keep you coming back," Ahmed said. "People every day are opening the Whoop app and understanding what they can do to feel a little bit younger and to be more healthy."
Ahmed said that on average, Whoop members open the app eight times a day, and the company's user engagement scores put it on par with WhatsApp.
"The big picture for Whoop is that it either makes you healthier or saves your life," Ahmed said. "You put this thing on, all of a sudden you're going to be become a healthier human, or one day, you wake up and it tells you [that] you need to see a doctor right now, because you have blank, and blank could be a heart attack or some illness. That's the potential of continuous health monitoring."
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