Houlihan Lokey Advises Gym+Coffee

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Gym+Coffee has received a growth investment led by CastleGate Investments (CastleGate), with additional funding from West Ventures.

Founded in 2017 by Niall Horgan, Diarmuid McSweeney, and Karl Swaine, Gym+Coffee is fast-growing D2C apparel business and Ireland’s leading hoodie brand. The business sells a range of athleisure and sports performance gear recognised for its style, comfort, fit, and function, with products sold globally through its D2C websites and via its 12 retail “clubhouses”.

Gym+Coffee hoodies have become an eye-catching feature amongst health and fitness enthusiasts in the UK and Ireland, helping to attract celebrity investments from Brian O’Driscoll (former Irish rugby player) and Niall Horan (former One Direction member). The brand has gained a vast and loyal customer base due to its authentic approach to community building, an engagement programme consisting of more than 300 events, high-quality products, and, most notably, its support of women in sports. The brand has recently partnered with Aston Villa Women’s Football Club, joining forces to change perceptions and inspire the next generation. Powered by its rapidly expanding community following, the brand has seen a 15-fold increase in annual sales since 2019.

CastleGate is a recently established growth-focused family office, led by Roy Barrett on behalf of Tommy Kelly, serial entrepreneur and founder of e-commerce platform eShopWorld. This is CastleGate’s third investment since 2021.

CastleGate’s investment will allow Gym+Coffee to propel its growth into new markets like the UK and Germany (Europe’s largest athleisure market) and endorses the strength of the Gym+Coffee brand to further accelerate its momentum as one of Europe’s fastest-growing athleisure brands.

Houlihan Lokey acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Gym+Coffee, assisting in all aspects of the transaction. This deal bolsters the firm’s experience in the exciting athleisure segment of the apparel market and further adds to its track record as the leading outdoor active and healthy lifestyle advisor. This is the 23rd announced deal by Houlihan Lokey’s Consumer, Food & Retail team in 2022.

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