Strava eyes IPO as Gen Z trades dating apps for running clubs

Strava, the 16-year-old health monitoring app, is gearing as much as go public, the Financial Times reports.

CEO Michael Martin informed the FT that the San Francisco firm plans to listing “sooner or later,” eyeing capital for extra acquisitions. The corporate, backed by Sequoia Capital, TCV, and Jackson Sq. Ventures, was final valued at $2.2 billion in Might.

Strava has the wind at its again, definitely. The app’s person base has exploded to 50 million month-to-month lively customers in 2025, in accordance with Sensor Tower – practically double its closest competitor, with downloads up 80% year-over-year.

Strava’s progress coincides with a cultural shift round operating, significantly as folks of their teenagers and 20s search extra alcohol-free methods to socialize. Runners additionally emphasize the psychological well being advantages of discovering help networks (and, generally, romance). Functions for the 2026 London Marathon jumped 31% this yr to 1.1 million folks.

Strava’s secret sauce? Turning exercises into social forex with “kudos” and break up comparisons. Sensor Tower estimates shoppers spent over $180 million on its subscription tier by means of September – a determine Strava says considerably underestimates precise income. The corporate additionally earns from sponsored challenges and model partnerships.