One Direction’s Niall Horan invests in Gym+Coffee

One Direction singer Niall Horan has taken a minority stake in Ireland’s leading athleisure brand, Gym+Coffee, to support the brand’s ambitions to expand internationally.

In a statement, Gym+Coffee said that its deal with Horan was more than just investment, adding that they had entered into a “significant partnership” with the singer to raise the profile of the brand internationally.

Gym+Coffee launched in 2017 and describes itself as one of the fastest-growing businesses in Ireland and the UK, and Horan isn’t the only celebrity investor, Irish rugby player Brian O’Driscoll was an early investor in the business.

How much Horan has invested in the business has not been disclosed.

Commenting on becoming a shareholder of Gym+Coffee, Horan said in a statement: “I’ve been a fan of Gym+Coffee for some time both as a brand and a business. I love the idea of the community they created around the brand and their goals to Make Life Richer.

“The first time I bought some Gym+Coffee gear I was struck by the high quality of the clothing and I was delighted to see they were an Irish brand with a serious team behind their operation. As I looked into it more, I started to understand their ambition and I’m delighted now to become part of the team that will hopefully bring the brand to a wider audience.”

Gym+Coffee plots international expansion following investment from singer Niall Horan

Horan added that he visited the new Gym+Coffee Westfield Clubhouse on opening weekend last year and was “hooked”.

“I was struck at how a young brand from Ireland was starting to make an impact on the international market,” added Horan. “I realised there were some good synergies between us, and the relationship took off from there, ending with me investing into the company and becoming part of the team.”

The athleisure brand is entering what it calls “an exciting period of growth” after opening two new retail stores in the last six months at Westfield London and The Trafford Centre in Mancheste. Adding that it has set its sights on international expansion, with plans for further retail ‘Clubhouses’ to open in 2021.

Gym+Coffee chief executive Niall Horgan commented: “We are so excited for Niall to officially come on board and support a business like ours. Over the last 10 years Niall has represented Ireland with optimism, inclusivity, energy and positivity on a global stage and has become a household name across the world. He is what we aspire to become as a business. We hope that with his guidance and direction Gym+Coffee can emulate some of the success he’s had and proudly represent Ireland internationally.”

Niall Horan backs Irish athleisure brand Gym+Coffee

The Irish brand states that the worldwide athleisure clothing industry has “been a booming category for some time,” accelerated by the impact of Covid-19 and is expecting to surpass 500 billion US dollars in 2022 while e-commerce sales have increased 1,000 percent in the last 12 months.

“The opportunity this presents is huge and the appetite for high quality, on-trend, responsible and functional athletic clothing continues to grow. Gym+Coffee are excited to continue to strengthen their brand and community, with the advice and support of an international partner in Niall Horan,” added the company.

Gym+Coffee offers its clothing through its e-commerce platforms in the UK, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand and will soon have seven clubhouses in Ireland and the UK.

In 2020, it launched its first collection of sustainable athleisure products made from up to 100 percent recycled polyester and said it continues “to broaden our positive impact through partnerships” with organisations like One Tree Planted, Waste2Wear and The Sanctuary Runners.