Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of fitness technology firm Whoop, sat down with business reporter Janelle Nanos to “discuss Whoop’s appeal with elite athletes” and what “sets Whoop apart from other fitness trackers” in the latest installment of the BOSTON GLOBE’s “Bold Types” video series. Ahmed says that Whoop is “not like other fitness trackers” because it is “designed as a ‘sophisticated tool to help consumers understand their bodies,’ in ways he says the competition does not.” Ahmed has “raised nearly” $405M in venture capital from the likes of Softbanks’s Vision Fund 2, Accomplice and NextView Ventures. Last year, he “doubled-down on Whoop’s commitment to Boston” by opening a new 121,000-square-foot office "steps from Fenway Park and on the Boston Marathon route.” Now, “every time a ball heads toward the Green Monster, Red Sox fans get a view of the Whoop logo alongside the Citgo sign.” Ahmed said, “We like the idea of Whoop being a landmark in the skyline.” Nanos notes that there has been “talk about whether Whoop might position itself for an IPO,” but for now, Ahmed says that he is “focused on expanding his reach globally into markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.” He “intends to keep adding functionality to the bands, with more emphasis on metrics for women’s health, stress, and other medical issues” (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/25).
