Backed by superstars such as LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes and tennis champion Naomi Osaka, Hyperice is cementing its position in the athlete-driven wellness industry that it has targeted since its founding.
The Irvine-based company’s name was inspired by the late Kobe Bryant, who was the first player to provide feedback and showcase Hyperice products on the basketball court.
“Hyperice” is a combination of Bryant’s Hyperdunk Nike shoes and the neoprene ice compression sleeves founder Anthony Katz convinced him to try for his knees.
Since Bryant’s initial involvement, a series of athletes from different sports have joined the recovery device manufacturer as investors and product testers. Hyperice, best known for its Hypervolt massage gun, reached an $850 million valuation in 2024.
“A lot of our athletes invest, put their own dollars in the brand because they like the category, they like the products and they feel like it can help impact the business,” Chief Executive Jim Huether told the Business Journal.
The professional influences came full circle when Hyperice announced its partnership with sportswear giant Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) in 2022 to build the firm’s first piece of wearable technology, the Hyperboot. It combines heating and compression technologies within a single footwear device.
“We approached them with this concept and idea. They brought their innovation team together with our innovation team, and we worked back and forth over two and a half years, flying to Oregon, flying to Irvine, flying to Asia, and a lot of product testing with athletes,” Huether said.
Once Hyperice had a working prototype, the firm tested about 400 boots with athletes during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Track star Sha’Carri Richardson was among the Olympians to test the Hyperboot.
“We knew we had a big hit on our hands,” Huether said of the tech-enabled footwear.
It was released to the public in May with a price tag of $899, and Hyperice “sold thousands of units in the first couple days,” according to Huether.
“It’s an entirely new category of business for us,” he added.
Shrinking Down Technology
Huether, who joined the startup in 2014, said Hyperboot was the most difficult product the company’s developed so far.
“We’re applying principles and technologies from NormaTec and Venom, two very established lines, and then shrinking them down based on technology innovations and fitting them inside a shoe so that people can get recovery literally on the go,” said Huether, referencing the company’s other recovery products.
The device needed to be comfortable and wearable as a shoe with enough power to sustain the technology built into the boot, such as air compressors, solenoid electromagnets, printed circuit board (PCB) chips and battery tech, Huether added.
“You can be walking around while you’re using compression and heat on your foot, ankle and Achilles,” he said. “It sets the stage for future wearable technology in the footwear and apparel categories for us.”
Following the Hyerboot, the firm has four more innovations scheduled to launch in the next 12 months. It most recently released the portable Hyperice X 2, a successor to earlier Hyperice X devices with the addition of a built-in compression system and expanded temperature ranges for heating and cooling.
The X 2 device was endorsed by Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Hyperice and Nike’s next piece of wearable tech, a vest that uses thermoelectric coolers for instant heating and cooling, is still in the works. The company said it has also wear tested the vest on athletes during key sporting moments.
Athlete Testing and Feedback
“We’re affecting the physiology of the human body to help people recover from injury, to enhance their performance, to promote longevity and to promote general health and wellness,” Huether said.
Using athletes for product development on top of generating interest has been a key advantage for Hyperice as an electronics maker since the beginning.
Huether pointed to Mahomes when he was playing in the Super Bowl two years ago with an ankle injury. Feedback from the investor and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback on the portable NormaTec device he was testing to increase mobility shaped the final design of the product.
“The athlete populations generally are going to be ahead of the game, because they’re looking for any competitive edge, anything that can advance performance and longevity,” Huether said, adding that an extra inch or second is meaningful to an athlete.
“And when you think about a pro-sports franchise at the top, they’re going to have a natural incentive to keep their multibillion-dollar asset, their LeBron James or their Patrick Mahomes, on the court or on the field.”
Not only have the company’s ties to professional athletes helped it gain traction in the sports and wellness worlds—Hyperice is the official technology partner of the NBA, MLB, PGA Tour, UFC and other leagues and teams—but the science behind its technology is driving demand also, Huether said.
“I think the category that we’re in is growing tremendously and has been specifically over the last five years. More people understand that there’s products and technologies and services that can improve their health,” he said.
With over 100 employees housed at its 14,000-square-foot headquarters, Hyperice has surpassed $200 million in gross annual revenue and is tracking a growth rate of about 20%, according to Huether.
“I think the talent pool is really strong in Orange County,” Huether said. “I also think it’s turning into a nice technology hub.”
Reaching New, Everyday Consumers
By using athlete testing and feedback to drive the advancement of its devices, Hyperice will benefit the everyday fitness user as well, who makes up 90% of its customers.
“We can take those learnings and apply them to the everyday person,” Huether said.
Originally a direct-to-consumer brand selling to athletes and teams, Hyperice’s retail network now includes Dick’s Sporting Goods, Best Buy, REI and Sam’s Club. The tech firm has also partnered with fitness studios and hospitality companies such as Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton hotels to provide devices as amenities.
Partnerships like this give Hyperice exposure among everyday consumers and travelers.
“The partnerships we have with Equinox or Westin hotels or Orangetheory or F45 or Lifetime Fitness, all of those partnerships allow us to interact with the general fitness consumer, the runner, the marathon goer, or the person just working out to stay healthy. And those are what drives the business forward,” Huether said.
Huether has also placed Hyperice devices in cruise ships and airport lounges. Some of its products can be found at LAX. The Delta One Lounge at Terminal 3, for example, features its recovery tools, such as compression boots. The Hypervolt massage gun can be purchased at a retail shop at LAX’s international terminal.
He’s even trying to get NormaTec onto the planes in first class.
A few months ago, Hyperice made its devices eligible for FSA and HSA programs since there was no recovery technology in that space, Huether said. It now has six to seven devices available and has been “massive.”
“20% of our online revenue is coming through FSA and HSA,” he added. “It has been a really unique and interesting way to reach new consumers.”
