Will Ahmed: From Ordinary Student to Creator of WHOOP, a Billion-Dollar Smart Wristband Business

For health enthusiasts, one indispensable device is wearable technology, whether a smartwatch, fitness tracker worn during exercise, or something worn continuously on the body. One of the most popular tools recently is "WHOOP" a smart wristband that can monitor our body health 24 hours a day.

WHOOP is designed as a minimalist wristband without a screen, so users don’t worry about screen light disturbing their eyes, and it has no notifications unless desired. Simply wearing it stylishly, the sensors on the wrist continuously track and analyze the wearer’s body data—not just during exercise or training but also monitoring sleep, recovery, stress, and heart health.

Behind WHOOP is "Will Ahmed" a former Harvard student and sports team captain who didn’t know his training limits. He sought a tool to prevent overtraining, which led to the creation of this smart wristband now recognized by professional athletes and people worldwide. Besides health, it also supports well-being, fitting the current Longevity trend for those seeking long-term health.

This article from Thairath Money'sHow to Make Moneycolumn introduces Will Ahmed, the man behind WHOOP’s success—from designing the wristband himself to creating a sought-after tool, turning a nearly bankrupt business into an enterprise valued at over $3.6 billion.

WHOOP began at Harvard.

Back in 2012, while Will Ahmed was captain of Harvard’s squash team, he faced unexplained body pain despite no sports injuries. He discovered he was overtraining—pushing beyond his body’s limits—caused by the pressure of being team captain, which harmed his body.

Will Ahmed is the only child of a family from Long Island, New York. His father, an Egyptian immigrant, settled in the US, and his mother is an American writer. Growing up biracial in a big city, he had to work hard to socialize and make friends, with sports being a key activity where he met new people.

Will Ahmed loved sports from school age, playing sailing, golf, tennis, hockey, soccer, and more. He graduated from St. Paul’s School, studying math and science, where he was also a passionate athlete and captain of both the squash and tennis teams.

He then attended Harvard University in 2008, majoring in Government and Economics. According toLinkedIn,besides studying law, governance, and economics, he was co-captain of Harvard’s squash team and led the team to a national third-place finish.

"I didn’t realize what I was doing to my body during training. Many athletes either overtrain, undertrain, or don’t know their optimal point, nor do they understand the importance of recovery or sleep," Will Ahmed said.

At Harvard, he found his body couldn’t handle the heavy training, so he seriously studied physiology. Despite adjusting training, rest, and diet, he couldn’t find technology that tracked comprehensive body data.

In 2012, the WHOOP smart wristband was born from this dedicated study, which Will Ahmed described as "a passion for studying the body and solving my own problem." He read over 500 research papers and wrote reports on human body studies while still at Harvard.

The main goal of creating WHOOP was to use technology to monitor the body. Will Ahmed tested it himself from day one, seeing it as a tool to help both professional and amateur athletes monitor their health—from training to daily life. His primary target customers from the start were elite athletes worldwide.

WHOOP nearly went bankrupt.

This wristband without a screen, only sensors to track and analyze the body, was rejected by many investors in the early stages. WHOOP was seen as just another band, a new product that couldn’t compete with established products like Apple Watch, Fitbit, and other sports brands like Nike and Adidas.

But WHOOP’s difference lies in its minimalist design without a screen and detailed body data analysis. It doesn’t focus on selling hardware but offers simple design paired with medical-grade detailed data analysis so users can understand their body’s activities and needs.

WHOOP’s specialty is a subscription software model where users pay annually to access detailed data analysis services. Its standout features include analyzing recovery, fatigue, sleep, stress, motion tracking, step counting, assessing true healthspan with WHOOP Age, and in-depth blood pressure analysis.

Related articles:WHOOP is more than a wristband; it is a startup controlling valuable health data that builds power money can’t buy.

Will Ahmed said he pitched to over 143 investors but was rejected repeatedly. By 2015, the company was at a dead end, nearly filing for bankruptcy. One day, frustrated and stressed after three years without success and facing imminent bankruptcy, he was watching TV and flipping channels until he saw a KIA commercial featuring LeBron James. On that day, everything changed because the basketball superstar wore WHOOP on his wrist.

WHOOP did not market through top athletes, send products for use, or hire celebrities as endorsers. Instead, its potential spread by word of mouth within insiders. Since LeBron James started wearing the wristband, the business transformed dramatically.

Today, WHOOP is used by professional athletes worldwide, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Aryna Sabalenka, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy. Beyond B2C, WHOOP partners with sports leagues like the NFL Players Association and MLB, the most popular professional baseball league in the US, to reach more athletes.

The company expanded beyond athletes by partnering with the US Navy SEALs, later reaching general consumers. Currently, WHOOP is valued at $3.6 billion (nearly 120 billion baht) with a global customer base. Will Ahmed states the company can expand to over 125 million more customers as it offers services in multiple languages.

Will Ahmed remains CEO, continually developing the technology behind WHOOP with his team to maintain its position as a smart wristband used worldwide for personal health, following the core idea that he wants everyone to "unlock their potential and achieve long-lasting health."  

Source: WHOOP [1][2],NoGood,,CNBC,,Men’s Health,,Harvard,,Business Insider 

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