This Gymshark company profile covers the company's valuation, revenue, funding rounds, investors and history. Gymshark works in consumer, with a focus on fitness apparel. It was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Solihull, England, United Kingdom. Its latest valuation on record is More than £1 billion (August 2020). Every figure links to a public source, and anything the company hasn't disclosed is marked as such.
Revenue
About £646 million — Annual revenue, financial year to July 2025, as of July 2025. Source: Modaes.
| Metric | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-tax profit | About £6.9 million in the year to July 2025, down from £11.8 million, as the company invested in stores and events | July 2025 | Retail Week |
Funding history
| Date | Round | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2020 | Minority investment | About £200M for a 21% stake | More than £1B | General Atlantic | Retail Gazette |
Gymshark timeline
Key dates from the sources on this page, oldest first. Metric snapshots are listed after the funding events.
- 2012 — Gymshark is founded in Solihull by Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan.
- Aug 2020 — Minority investment: About £200M for a 21% stake, valuing the company at More than £1B. Investors: General Atlantic.
- July 2025 — Pre-tax profit: About £6.9 million in the year to July 2025, down from £11.8 million, as the company invested in stores and events.
Investors
Overview
Gymshark is a British fitness apparel brand that sells gym clothing, leggings, shorts, sports bras, hoodies and accessories, mainly online but increasingly in its own stores. It grew from a teenager's side project into one of the best-known fitness brands in the world, largely through social media and partnerships with fitness influencers long before that became standard practice. For the year to July 2025, it reported revenue of about £646 million. In 2020, private equity firm General Atlantic bought a 21% stake, valuing the company at more than £1 billion, and in 2026 the Financial Times reported that founder Ben Francis was in talks to buy back part of that stake.
Ben Francis founded Gymshark in 2012 in Birmingham, England, with school friend Lewis Morgan, while studying at university and working as a pizza delivery driver. They started by selling supplements online, then designed and sewed gym clothing themselves. A breakthrough came when they took their products to a fitness exhibition in 2013, where sales soared. Francis owns the majority of the company, reported at around 70%, and returned as CEO in 2021 after a period in which other executives ran the business.
Products
- Women's activewear: leggings, sports bras and seamless sets, central to its growth.
- Men's gym wear: shorts, T-shirts, tank tops and joggers.
- Lifestyle clothing: hoodies, sweatshirts and casual wear.
- Accessories: bags, bottles and gym equipment.
- Gymshark Training app: a free workout app that supports the brand community.
Funding and ownership
Gymshark grew for years without outside investment, funding expansion from profits. In August 2020, General Atlantic invested about £200 million for a 21% stake, valuing the company at more than £1 billion; some reports cite about £1.25 billion. Gymshark has no newer valuation that we can verify. In July 2026, Retail Gazette and others reported, citing the Financial Times, that Francis was in talks to buy back part of General Atlantic's holding, which would raise his stake further; neither party commented. We treat the 2020 figure as historical.
Revenue and profitability
For the financial year to July 2025, Gymshark reported revenue of about £646 million, up about 6% from £607 million the year before. Pre-tax profit fell to about £6.9 million from £11.8 million, which the company said was intentional as it invested in stores and free community events. Reports said EBITDA grew and gross margin stayed around 62%. Growth has slowed compared with the brand's early years, when sales often doubled.
Business model
Gymshark sells mostly direct to consumers through its website and app, supported by social media marketing and athlete partnerships. It has opened flagship stores in London and other cities and partnered with retailers in some markets. Its margins benefit from direct sales, but marketing and logistics are significant costs, and international expansion requires local warehouses and teams.
Competition
Gymshark competes with Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and Puma; with premium brands such as Lululemon, Alo and Vuori; and with many smaller online fitness brands, several of which copied its influencer model. Its advantages are a strong community, brand recognition among young gym-goers and expertise in social media marketing.
Gymshark at a glance
Gymshark is a Solihull, England, fitness apparel brand founded in 2012 by Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan. It reported about £646 million in revenue for the year to July 2025. General Atlantic bought 21% in 2020 at a valuation of more than £1 billion, and Francis, the majority owner and CEO, was reported in 2026 to be in talks to buy back part of that stake.
Timeline
- 2012: founded by Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan.
- 2013: sales take off after a fitness exhibition.
- 2016–2019: grows rapidly through influencers and international shipping.
- 2020: General Atlantic buys 21% at more than £1 billion.
- 2021: Ben Francis returns as CEO.
- 2022: opens its London flagship store.
- 2025: revenue reaches about £646 million.
- 2026: reported buyback talks with General Atlantic.
The influencer model
Gymshark was one of the first brands to build a business around fitness influencers on YouTube and Instagram, sending products to creators and building long-term partnerships. This created authentic-looking promotion that reached young audiences more effectively than traditional advertising. Today almost every consumer brand uses creators, so the advantage is smaller, but Gymshark's community and events, such as free gym meet-ups and lifting sessions, help keep its brand strong.
Bootstrapping to a billion
Gymshark is an example of a company reaching a valuation above £1 billion before taking outside investment, by growing profitably from the start. This meant the founders kept control and avoided dilution. Our guide to the largest bootstrapped companies covers similar businesses.
Who buys Gymshark
Gymshark's customers are mainly young adults who go to the gym, lift weights or train regularly, in the UK, US, Europe and Australia.
Risks
- Slowing growth: revenue growth has moderated.
- Competition: many brands copy its approach.
- Fashion and trend risk: preferences among young consumers change.
- Stale valuation: the last known valuation dates from 2020.
Questions for shoppers
- How does sizing compare with other brands?
- What are shipping and return times in your country?
- Which fabrics are designed for your type of training?
Why founder control matters at Gymshark
Because Ben Francis owns a large majority of Gymshark, he can make long-term decisions, such as investing in stores and free community events at the expense of short-term profit, without pressure from a board dominated by investors. General Atlantic's minority stake brought expertise and capital for international expansion, but control stayed with the founder. A buyback would increase that control further and reduce pressure for an eventual sale or listing. For other founders, Gymshark shows that selling a minority stake can provide resources and personal liquidity without giving up the direction of the company. The trade-off is that a private, founder-controlled business has fewer outside checks, so its strategy depends heavily on the founder's judgement.
Valuation context
The more-than-£1 billion valuation from 2020 was set when online retail was booming during pandemic lockdowns. Since then, revenue has grown more slowly and profit has fallen, while listed apparel companies' valuations have fluctuated. Any buyback price would offer a new indication of value, but such terms are rarely disclosed for private companies.
Latest developments (October 2026)
Gymshark reported its 13th consecutive year of sales growth for the year to July 2025, with record revenue of about £646 million, while pre-tax profit fell to about £7 million as it invested in stores in Manchester, Dubai, Amsterdam and New York, according to The Retail Bulletin. Founder Ben Francis was reported to be in talks to buy back part of General Atlantic's stake, according to The Industry.
What to watch
Watch the outcome of buyback talks, store expansion, US growth and profitability.
Takeaways
Gym-goers get fitness clothing from a community-focused brand. Founders can see how social media and profitability can build a large company without early investors. Investors should treat its valuation as a 2020 mark.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the public sources below. Where sources disagreed, we used the company's own announcement or a primary news report. Private-company data changes; check the date beside each figure.
Frequently asked questions
What does Gymshark do?
Gymshark is a consumer / fitness apparel company headquartered in Solihull, England, United Kingdom. It was founded in 2012.
What is Gymshark's valuation?
Gymshark was valued at More than £1 billion as of August 2020, according to Retail Week. Private company valuations are set at funding rounds or share sales and can change significantly between them.
How much revenue does Gymshark make?
Gymshark reported About £646 million (annual revenue, financial year to july 2025) as of July 2025, according to Modaes.
What was Gymshark's latest funding round?
The most recent financing we have verified is a minority investment in Aug 2020: About £200M for a 21% stake, at a valuation of More than £1B. Source: Retail Gazette.
Who are Gymshark's investors?
Investors named in public announcements include General Atlantic.
Who founded Gymshark?
Gymshark was founded in 2012 by Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan.
Is Gymshark a public company?
No. Gymshark is a private company (private, founder controlled with private equity minority), so its shares are not traded on a stock exchange and it isn't required to publish its financial results.
Where is Gymshark headquartered?
Gymshark is headquartered in Solihull, England, United Kingdom.