Gymshark
Gymshark (founder-led; General Atlantic minority stake) · United Kingdom
Gymshark is a British fitness apparel brand founded in 2012 by Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan, who still leads it as chief executive. Built online through social media and creator partnerships, it became one of the best known digitally native sportswear brands and a reference case for community-driven direct-to-consumer growth.
| Founded | 2012, Birmingham area |
|---|---|
| Founders | Ben Francis, Lewis Morgan |
| Chief executive | Ben Francis |
| Headquarters | Solihull, United Kingdom |
| Investor | General Atlantic (21% stake, 2020) |
| Segment | Fitness and training apparel |
| Website | gymshark.com |
What is Gymshark?
Gymshark is a UK-based fitness apparel brand and online retailer that sells training clothing and accessories for women and men. It is headquartered at Blythe Valley Park in Solihull in the West Midlands and has offices in London, North America and Hong Kong. Founder Ben Francis has been chief executive since 2022, and the company describes its purpose as uniting the 'conditioning community'.
History
Francis and his school friend Lewis Morgan started Gymshark in 2012 while at university, initially drop-shipping bodybuilding supplements. According to the company, its first apparel was made in a garage in Birmingham with a sewing machine and a screen printer. In 2013 the brand began designing and producing its own clothing and sold out of stock at the BodyPower fitness exhibition. In August 2020 the US private equity firm General Atlantic acquired a 21 per cent stake, a deal that valued the business at more than one billion pounds.
Products and positioning
The range covers leggings, sports bras, shorts, vests, T-shirts, hoodies and joggers, plus bags, socks and headwear. Gymshark sits in the mid-market of performance and athleisure apparel, competing for a young, gym-focused audience. By 2020 around two thirds of its sales were to women.
Business model and distribution
Gymshark grew as a digitally native brand. It sells through 14 regional online stores to customers in more than 200 countries. Physical retail came later: a pop-up in Covent Garden in 2020, a permanent flagship on Regent Street in London in 2022, further London stores and a first store outside London at the Trafford Centre in 2025.
Gymshark and technology
- 2019: launch of a Gymshark training app with workouts, video demonstrations and custom plans, with free and premium tiers.
- Heavy use of social media and paid creator partnerships as the core marketing engine; the company cites more than 18 million social followers.
Why it matters
Gymshark is one of the clearest examples of a social-first sportswear brand that scaled internationally before opening shops. Its mix of community marketing, owned e-commerce and selective flagship retail is widely studied by brands seeking direct relationships with younger consumers.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Gymshark?
Gymshark is a private company led by its founder Ben Francis. The US private equity firm General Atlantic bought a 21 per cent minority stake in 2020, and co-founder Lewis Morgan retained a shareholding after stepping back in 2016.
Where is Gymshark from?
Gymshark is British. It started in 2012 in the Birmingham area and is headquartered at Blythe Valley Park in Solihull, with offices in London, North America and Hong Kong.