Whoop’s 600-Person Hiring Drive Sets Up IPO

Whoop announced today that it plans to hire more than 600 people in 2026, a surprising move that would increase its workforce by as much as 75 per cent – a clear signal of intent to pursue a public listing.

The hiring drive, reported simultaneously by Bloomberg, covers roles across software engineering, research and design, hardware, product development, manufacturing, and sales and marketing. The majority of positions will be based in Boston, with additional recruitment planned across North America, Europe, the Gulf Cooperation Council states, and Asia.

Will Ahmed, Whoop’s founder and chief executive, framed the expansion in terms that went beyond operational necessity. “Right now, companies are debating whether to hire more people or just invest in AI,” he said. “We are doing both.”

IPO Clock Running

Reported on this site in November 2025, Ahmed noted that Whoop was well-positioned for an initial public offering within approximately two years. He confirmed to the news agency on Wednesday that those plans remain unchanged and that the company continues to see considerable growth across the business.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Boston, Whoop has raised more than $400 million in venture capital to date. Its most recent disclosed valuation — $3.6 billion, set during a Series F round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 in August 2021 — has not been updated publicly, leaving open the question of where the business would price in current market conditions.

Fitness Tech’s Crowded Public Market Queue

Whoop is not alone among fitness and wellness technology companies preparing for public scrutiny. We did a deep dive here on Strava’s IPO, analysing where the investment would likely be spent. Strava could go public as soon as this spring, and we noted here that Strava’s recent recruitment plans (similar to Whoop’s)—including senior investor relations and public policy roles—pointed unmistakably toward that.

Whilst sharing some commonalities in the sport tech space, two companies occupy distinct positions. Strava is a software and data business with annual recurring revenue approaching $500 million and a valuation last set at $2.2 billion. Whoop is a hardware-plus-subscription model with a higher most recent valuation but a more capital-intensive operating structure. Where Strava’s path to public markets is defined by subscription scale and community engagement, Whoop’s rests on its ability to expand its health monitoring platform globally.

Timing and Conditions

The broader context for both companies is a cautious technology IPO market.

Global equity volatility, wars, sustained interest rates, and memories of overpriced listings in recent years will make institutional investors selective. A 600-person hiring drive, announced publicly and framed around a forthcoming IPO, is a market-signalling exercise. It tells prospective investors that growth is real.

Whether Whoop’s timeline holds will depend on market conditions and on the company’s ability to resolve outstanding questions. As repeatedly covered on this site, that notably refers to impending competition from Garmin (CIRQA smartband) and the recent FDA softening of their stance on Whoop’s regulatory journey of its blood pressure measurement feature.

For now, the recruitment drive has served a purpose: framing the words “Whoop” and “IPO” together in investors’ minds.

Last Updated on 4 March 2026 by the5krunner

the5krunner

tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors.