Whoop launches social network for health data sharing

Whoop, the maker of screen-less fitness bands, is launching a social network called Whoop Humans on Thursday, according to TechCrunch. The network will be rolled out in the Whoop app to members at every membership tier at no extra cost.

Members can follow anyone on Whoop and choose what to share, from sleep and recovery to workouts and achievements. Followers can react and comment, and members can attach photos and commentary to their data. It is all opt-in, CEO Will Ahmed told TechCrunch.

Whoop already has a social feature called Teams, which a little more than half its customers use, according to the company. Teams is built around groups and leaderboards, and everyone in a group sees everyone else’s information. Humans is meant to be more intimate, with members deciding who follows them and who sees what.

The company has seen “huge growth” among people over 60 over the past 18 months, Ahmed said, without offering specifics. Whoop is among the first companies accepted into a Medicare program that reimburses qualifying wearables that can show they improve health outcomes, and it now has Medicare members.

Whoop does not sell member data, Ahmed said. “Our product is not you; it’s the membership,” he said, adding that the company doesn’t license data to third parties.

Whoop’s minimum age is 13 for all members, higher in some countries, meaning customers of that age can share their data subject to consents and privacy settings. Members can remove followers, switch on “stealth mode” to go dark for a few days without changing their settings, and report any comment or photo they deem disturbing. Reported content is reviewed by the company.

The company now has about 1,200 employees, membership on its software platform has increased more than 70% a year for three years running, and it expects to have nearly 4 million members by year-end. Whoop “will certainly IPO in the future,” Ahmed said.

Whoop’s devices will be sold through Ulta stores beginning next March, starting at around 500 locations, with a target to retail in more than a thousand stores eventually.

In addition to Google’s new Fitbit Air band, Whoop may soon have to contend with Apple, which is reportedly developing a Whoop-style band, according to TechCrunch.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.