Wahoo acquires The Sufferfest training platform
The Sufferfest has come a long way from its early days of offering basic ride-along videos to become one of the most loyally followed indoor training platforms for cyclists and triathletes. And that success is in spite of Zwift’s best efforts to monopolise the pain-cave market, having raised over US$164 million in private funding since its inception in 2014.
From today, The Sufferfest is now part of the Wahoo Fitness family. The terms of the acquisition are undisclosed as both companies are privately owned, however, the press release states “there are no planned changes in The Sufferfest business offering or structure as a result of this acquisition.”
David McQuillen, founder of The Sufferfest, added “the strong sense of identity that has made The Sufferfest what it is today will remain, and we will continue to work closely with our existing hardware partners to ensure seamless compatibility across all platforms.”
Consolidation seems to be trending within the fast-growing indoor cycling market, and Wahoo’s announcement follows on the heels of rival, Garmin, acquiring another of Wahoo’s competitors, Tacx.
For Wahoo Fitness, a company that has twice found itself in Deloitte’s Fast 500 list of America’s fastest-growing tech-based companies, the acquisition of The Sufferfest could be viewed as a move to further integrate the software with the hardware. Or perhaps, use the subscription-based training platform, which just last week introduced e-racing-specific training plans, as a lure to drive more smart trainer and associated accessory sales.
For now, Wahoo’s exact plans for the training platform will remain closely guarded. Chip Hawkins, founder of Wahoo, said: “We are really pleased to bring together the Wahooligan and Sufferlandrian communities. We share a common passion for the performance of endurance athletes and our collective knowledge will provide additional benefits to athletes everywhere.”
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