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WHOOP (company)

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WHOOP
Company typePrivate
IndustryWearable technology
Founded2012
FounderWill Ahmed
HeadquartersBoston, Massachusetts
Key people
Websitewhoop.com

WHOOP is an American wearable technology company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.[1] Its principal product is a fitness tracker that measures strain, recovery, and sleep.[2][3] The device is best known for its use by athletes.[4][5] The device is often used to keep track of overall health and even detection of illness.[6]

The WHOOP band is popular among both consumers and professional athletes such as basketball player LeBron James,[7] golfer Rory McIlroy and swimmer Michael Phelps.[4]

Product

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WHOOP 1.0 was released in 2015.[8] A second version arrived in 2016,[9] and a third in 2019.[10] WHOOP 4.0 debuted in 2021,[11] with battery technology developed by Sila Nanotechnologies that replaces graphite anodes with silicon, thus increasing battery capacity.[12][13] WHOOP 4.0 consists of a removable knit strap that is attached to the monitor. The battery is water-proof and can charge the device while in use on the body.[14]

The wearable device collects data on sleep, heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and respiratory rate to create a daily recovery score for users.[15] The recovery score ranges from 0% to 100% to let users know if their body is recovered or if it needs rest.[16] It provides a suggested exertion goal based on day-to-day recovery and sleep.[14]

On March 29, 2023, WHOOP announced its Stress Monitor feature, which tracks daily stress levels through heart rate variability (HRV) and measurements of resting heart rate to provide a personalized Stress Score. In partnership with Dr. Andrew Huberman, they introduced breathwork interventions designed to decrease stress or increase alertness.[17]

In September 2023, WHOOP released its new "WHOOP Coach" feature powered by OpenAI, which was designed to provide personalized health and fitness coaching. The feature allows members to converse with the program to ask personalized questions and have conversations about their training and health.[18]

The most notable difference between WHOOP and other wearables is physical: WHOOP has no screen or buttons; all information must be viewed on a user's smartphone.[19] The WHOOP app is available on Android and Apple devices.

Other notable differences include price (WHOOP charges a monthly subscription fee; the device stops tracking without a subscription[20]) and data (according to Time, the device accumulates more data than its peers; its five sensors collect 100 megabytes of data per user, per day[21]).

History

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In 2012,[22] Will Ahmed, a Harvard University student athlete, founded WHOOP to help athletes gain greater visibility into their own fitness and rest.[23][24] Along with two fellow students at Harvard, John Capodilupo and Aurelian Nicolae,[25] Ahmed incubated a prototype at Harvard Innovation Labs.[26][27] The company raised $200 million from venture capital fund SoftBank in August 2021, at a valuation of $3.6 billion.[24]

As of November 2022, Ahmed is the company's chief executive officer,[28] and Nicolae is the director of mechanical engineering.[29] Capodilupo was chief technology officer until he stepped down in April 2022.[30] He was replaced as CTO by Jaime Waydo in November 2022.[30] Antonio Bertone former Chief Marketing Officer of PUMA USA was hired in 2018 to serve as chief marketing officer of WHOOP.[citation needed]

Investors in the startup include institutions such as the SoftBank Group[31] and the National Football League Players Association,[32] as well as individuals such as basketball player Kevin Durant[33] and football players Patrick Mahomes and Eli Manning.[34]

The name "WHOOP" is a phrase Ahmed used before big games in college.[22]

Sports

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WHOOP has been approved as a fitness wearable by various professional sports leagues and their labor unions. These include CrossFit,[35] the Ladies Professional Golf Association,[36] Major League Baseball,[37] the National Football League Players Association,[38] and the PGA Tour.[39]

The wearable is popular among celebrity athletes,[40] including swimmer Michael Phelps,[41] basketball player LeBron James,[42] and golfers Rory McIlroy,[43] Nelly Korda,[44] Tiger Woods,[45] Justin Thomas,[43] and MLB players Wade Miley and Brandon Woodruff.[46]

In 2017, NBA players DeAndre Jordan, Matthew Dellavedova, and others were reported to be hiding WHOOP devices under their wristbands during games, despite the NBA prohibiting wearables for in-game use.[47][48]

In 2023, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli wore WHOOP prominently during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.[49]

In May 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the global ambassador of WHOOP.[50][51]

Covid-19

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In June 2020, PGA Tour golfer Nick Watney noticed his respiratory rate spiked on his WHOOP app. Although he had no other symptoms of COVID-19, he decided to get tested, and was positive for the virus. This led to the PGA Tour to sign a deal with Whoop, making their products available to all golfers and caddies on Tour to reduce the spread of the virus.[52][6]

In December 2020, PGA Tour winner Scott Stallings noticed that his HRV, resting heart rate, and respiratory rate were not in the normal range on his app and soon tested positive for COVID-19. Stallings had been one of the first PGA Tour pros to wear the WHOOP and claimed to initially use it for better sleep habits after his sinus surgery.[6]

WHOOP has tested its product's ability to detect viruses such as COVID-19. In 2020, Whoop partnered with researchers from Central Queensland University to analyze changes in respiratory rate to predict the risk of COVID-19. The findings showed that the algorithm identified 80% of positive COVID-19 cases by day three of symptoms and 20% of positive COVID-19 cases were diagnosed two days prior to the onset of symptoms.[53]

References

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  1. ^ Heater, Brian (August 31, 2021). "Whoop raises another $200M for its athlete-focused fitness wearable". TechCrunch. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  2. ^ Rovell, Darren (March 6, 2017). "MLB approves device to measure biometrics of players". ESPN. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  3. ^ Willgress, Lydia (April 14, 2021). "We put Whoop's fitness tracker strap and membership experience to the test". The Independent. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Newcomb, Tim (October 2, 2015). "Tech Talk: A wearable for elite athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo, Virat Kohli, LeBron James and Michael Phelps". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  5. ^ Martinelli, Michelle (July 29, 2016). "Wearable apps help Olympic athletes train at their best". USA Today. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Dojc, Mike. "Golfer Scott Stallings Used Whoop Data To Help Detect His Covid-19 Symptoms". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  7. ^ Brownlee, John (April 26, 2016). "How To Design A Wearable For LeBron James". Fast Company. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  8. ^ Comstock, Jonah (August 31, 2021). "Whoop, a wearable for athletes, raises $12 million". MobiHealthNews. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  9. ^ Gintzler, Ariella (May 16, 2018). "Whoop Offers Subscription to Its Fitness Watch". Outside. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  10. ^ So, Adrienne (May 16, 2021). "Review: Whoop Strap 3.0". Wired. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  11. ^ O'Kane, Sean (September 8, 2021). "Whoop's new fitness tracker is better thanks to a battery breakthrough". The Verge. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  12. ^ Metz, Cade (2021-09-08). "Your Batteries Are Due for Disruption". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  13. ^ Moreno, Johan. "WHOOP CEO On Digital Fitness Competition: 'Just Because A Big Company Enters The Space Doesn't Mean They'll Be Successful'". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  14. ^ a b "Whoop is on sale at Amazon: What you need to know about this popular fitness tracker". CBSSports.com. 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  15. ^ Goode, Lauren (September 8, 2021). "Whoop's New Wearable Can Go on Your Wrist—or in Your Clothes". Wired.
  16. ^ Gaskin, Corey (September 8, 2021). "The Whoop Strap 4.0 launches today, 2 years after its predecessor". Ars Technica. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  17. ^ "WHOOP Launches New Stress Monitor Feature: First Wearable to Measure Daily Stress Levels and Implement Stress Reduction Interventions in Real-Time". www.businesswire.com. 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  18. ^ "WHOOP Unveils the New WHOOP Coach Powered by OpenAI: the First Wearable to Deliver Highly Individualized Performance Coaching on Demand". www.businesswire.com. 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  19. ^ Gaskin, Corey (September 8, 2021). "The Whoop Strap 4.0 launches today, 2 years after its predecessor". Ars Technica. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  20. ^ Livingston, Mercey. "Whoop 3.0 review: The fitness tracker that requires a $30 monthly subscription". CNET. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  21. ^ Pullen, John (April 18, 2017). "Why Professional Athletes Love This Fitness Band". Time. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Krueger, Alyson (July 9, 2021). "A Fitness App Moonlights as a Men's Support Group". The New York Times. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  23. ^ Verma, Pranshu (September 8, 2021). "Inside the rise of Whoop, Boston's fitness-wearable tech giant". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  24. ^ a b Kruppa, Miles (2021-08-30). "Wearables company Whoop valued at $3.6bn after SoftBank investment". Financial Times. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  25. ^ Lunden, Ingrid (November 12, 2019). "Whoop, the sports tech and analytics company that makes discreet wearables, raises $55M". TechCrunch. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  26. ^ "WHOOP - Harvard Innovation Labs". Harvard Innovation Labs. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  27. ^ Shultz, Alex (April 12, 2017). "Why Is This Wearable-Tech Company Helping College Teams Track How Often Athletes Sleep, Drink, And Have Sex?". Deadspin. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  28. ^ Verma, Pranshu (September 8, 2021). "Inside the rise of Whoop, Boston's fitness-wearable tech giant". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  29. ^ "How Whoop is working toward an invisible fitness tracker". Fast Company. September 22, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  30. ^ a b "Whoop Names Jaime Waydo New Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Patrick Carroll Becomes Company's First Chief Medical Officer". www.sporttechie.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  31. ^ Sozzi, Brian (August 30, 2021). "Softbank Investment Lifts Whoop Valuation to over $3.6B". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  32. ^ Shieber, Jonathan (March 6, 2018). "WHOOP raises $25 million to tell everyone from athletes to execs about their health". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  33. ^ Badenhausen, Kurt (August 30, 2021). "Kevin Durant Scores Again on $3.6 Billion WHOOP Valuation in Series F". Yahoo!. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  34. ^ Tan, Gillian (October 28, 2020). "Whoop Valued at $1.2 Billion With IVP, SoftBank, Manning Backing". Bloomberg News. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  35. ^ Marquez, Tommy (March 4, 2021). "Breaking: WHOOP, CrossFit Strike Multi-Year Partnership Deal". Morning Chalk Up.
  36. ^ Bleier, Rachel (July 16, 2020). "LPGA to partner with WHOOP, supply players, caddies and staff with straps". Golf Magazine. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  37. ^ Collins, Terry (March 6, 2017). "MLB adds wrist trackers to its starting lineup". CNET. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  38. ^ Taylor, Tom (June 27, 2017). "Football's Next Frontier: The Battle Over Big Data". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  39. ^ Dent, S. (January 7, 2021). "Golf fans can see PGA Tour players' heart rates thanks to new wearable partnership". Engadget. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  40. ^ Walker, Grant (September 1, 2022). "Whoop grows with celebrity endorsements — and a new landmark sign". The Boston Business Journal. p. 1. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  41. ^ Newcomb, Tim (October 2, 2015). "Tech Talk: A wearable for elite athletes like LeBron James and Michael Phelps". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  42. ^ Brownlee, John (April 26, 2016). "How To Design A Wearable For LeBron James". Fast Company. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  43. ^ a b Golden, Jessica (June 24, 2020). "PGA Tour procures 1,000 smart bands to help detect coronavirus symptoms in golfers". CNBC. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  44. ^ Levins, Keely (August 10, 2021). "The moment Nelly Korda's heart rate was highest en route to her Olympic gold medal wasn't the moment you'd expect". Golf Digest. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  45. ^ Sens, Josh (September 20, 2019). "That strap on Tiger Woods' wrist? It tracks his every move". Golf Magazine. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  46. ^ "How much sleep does an MLB team get? The Brewers answer". MLB.com. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  47. ^ "DeAndre Jordan hides a device under his wristband". ESPN.com. 2017-03-02. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  48. ^ "Should players be allowed to use wearable health-monitoring devices in NBA games?". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  49. ^ "From Virat Kohli to LeBron James, here's why elite athletes prefer WHOOP bands". Hindustan Times. 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  50. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo becomes investor and global ambassador for Whoop". Sports Mint. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  51. ^ "Whoop Signs Cristiano Ronaldo as Investor, Ambassador in Global Play". Athletech News. 13 May 2024.
  52. ^ Golden, Jessica (2020-10-28). "Whoop, maker of the fitness tracker that pro athletes love, is now valued at $1.2 billion". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  53. ^ Miller, Dean J.; Capodilupo, John V.; Lastella, Michele; Sargent, Charli; Roach, Gregory D.; Lee, Victoria H.; Capodilupo, Emily R. (2020-12-10). "Analyzing changes in respiratory rate to predict the risk of COVID-19 infection". PLOS ONE. 15 (12): e0243693. Bibcode:2020PLoSO..1543693M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0243693. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 7728254. PMID 33301493.
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