Latest news with #Bearhug
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sports and fitness brand smashes through £1 million turnover mark
Former Wales International, Josh Navidi and WRU national squad physiotherapist, John Miles have joined Bearhug as the company smashes the £1m turnover mark for 2025 (Image: Hannah Miles Photography) A sports, fitness and wellness brand has smashed through the £1 million turnover mark. Bearhug, based in Pontypool, passed the milestone for the first time and is now targeting further UK growth and expansion into Europe. Advertisement The Welsh sports and fitness brand designs bamboo-based joint supports and muscle sleeves aimed at injury prevention, pain relief, and recovery. Rhys George, CEO and co-founder of Bearhug, said: "Seeing Bearhug double its turnover for the third year running, and welcoming incredible talent like Josh and John to our team, is proof that our community-driven approach is making a real difference. "With the support of our investors, customers, and partners, I'm excited to take Bearhug to even greater heights – helping more people move, recover, and live life to the fullest." The business has reported more than £1.2 million in turnover in 2025, doubling revenue for the third consecutive year. Advertisement Bearhug's growth has been fuelled by a focused expansion strategy and the appointment of high-profile Welsh rugby ambassadors. ormer Wales International, Josh Navidi and WRU national squad physiotherapist, John Miles have joined Bearhug (Image: Hannah Miles Photography) Former Welsh international Josh Navidi has joined the company as head of athlete and brand partnerships. Mr Navidi will lead collaborations with sports figures and brands, drawing on his experience as a professional athlete and long-time Bearhug supporter. John Miles, WRU national squad physiotherapist, has also joined the team as chief medical officer. Advertisement WRU national squad physiotherapist John Miles has been appointed as Chief Medical Officer (Image: Hannah Miles Photography) Mr Miles was introduced to Bearhug's products through his work with the Welsh Rugby Union's medical team and quickly became an advocate. The company has completed two successful community crowdfunding rounds in the past two years, raising £150,000 from 38 investors across the UK. Many of the investors are users and supporters of the brand, including Welsh rugby stars Dewi Lake, Rhys Patchell, and Mr Navidi. The funding has helped CEO Rhys George move into a full-time role, and in the six months following the investment, Bearhug's monthly turnover doubled. Advertisement This growth enabled the company to expand its product range to include socks, hoodies, t-shirts, and lumbar supports. Founded in 2016, Bearhug was created by individuals with personal experience of long-term joint and muscle injuries. Mr George suffered a knee injury at 14 that ended his rugby ambitions, while a co-founder struggled with a chronic ankle injury. Both were dissatisfied with the limited and uncomfortable neoprene supports on the market. They discovered bamboo-based alternatives used in medical settings in North America and Asia, which offered greater comfort, breathability, and sustainability. Advertisement However, the products lacked personality, featuring bland, clinical designs. The team saw an opportunity to reimagine joint supports with bold orange branding and a strong community ethos. Today, Bearhug counts among its supporters former Cardiff Blues player Nick Williams, who credits the products with extending his rugby career by two years. Other fans include ultramarathon world record holder Rhys Jenkins, Dirty Sanchez star Mathew Pritchard, and numerous current and former Wales rugby players. Looking ahead, Bearhug aims to double turnover again within 24 months by increasing brand visibility in Wales, expanding across the UK, and growing its export footprint. The company will attend the inaugural International Running Expo (IRX) in Amsterdam in November as part of its European launch plans.
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Josh Navidi joins Bearhug Pontypool as £1m turnover smashed
Bearhug, based in Pontypool, passed the milestone for the first time and is now targeting further UK growth and expansion into Europe. The Welsh sports and fitness brand designs bamboo-based joint supports and muscle sleeves aimed at injury prevention, pain relief, and recovery. Rhys George, CEO and co-founder of Bearhug, said: "Seeing Bearhug double its turnover for the third year running, and welcoming incredible talent like Josh and John to our team, is proof that our community-driven approach is making a real difference. "With the support of our investors, customers, and partners, I'm excited to take Bearhug to even greater heights – helping more people move, recover, and live life to the fullest." The business has reported more than £1.2 million in turnover in 2025, doubling revenue for the third consecutive year. Bearhug's growth has been fuelled by a focused expansion strategy and the appointment of high-profile Welsh rugby ambassadors. ormer Wales International, Josh Navidi and WRU national squad physiotherapist, John Miles have joined Bearhug (Image: Hannah Miles Photography) Former Welsh international Josh Navidi has joined the company as head of athlete and brand partnerships. Mr Navidi will lead collaborations with sports figures and brands, drawing on his experience as a professional athlete and long-time Bearhug supporter. John Miles, WRU national squad physiotherapist, has also joined the team as chief medical officer. WRU national squad physiotherapist John Miles has been appointed as Chief Medical Officer (Image: Hannah Miles Photography) Mr Miles was introduced to Bearhug's products through his work with the Welsh Rugby Union's medical team and quickly became an advocate. The company has completed two successful community crowdfunding rounds in the past two years, raising £150,000 from 38 investors across the UK. Many of the investors are users and supporters of the brand, including Welsh rugby stars Dewi Lake, Rhys Patchell, and Mr Navidi. The funding has helped CEO Rhys George move into a full-time role, and in the six months following the investment, Bearhug's monthly turnover doubled. This growth enabled the company to expand its product range to include socks, hoodies, t-shirts, and lumbar supports. Founded in 2016, Bearhug was created by individuals with personal experience of long-term joint and muscle injuries. Mr George suffered a knee injury at 14 that ended his rugby ambitions, while a co-founder struggled with a chronic ankle injury. Both were dissatisfied with the limited and uncomfortable neoprene supports on the market. They discovered bamboo-based alternatives used in medical settings in North America and Asia, which offered greater comfort, breathability, and sustainability. However, the products lacked personality, featuring bland, clinical designs. The team saw an opportunity to reimagine joint supports with bold orange branding and a strong community ethos. Today, Bearhug counts among its supporters former Cardiff Blues player Nick Williams, who credits the products with extending his rugby career by two years. Other fans include ultramarathon world record holder Rhys Jenkins, Dirty Sanchez star Mathew Pritchard, and numerous current and former Wales rugby players. Looking ahead, Bearhug aims to double turnover again within 24 months by increasing brand visibility in Wales, expanding across the UK, and growing its export footprint. The company will attend the inaugural International Running Expo (IRX) in Amsterdam in November as part of its European launch plans.
Business News Wales
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Wellness Brand Breaks £1.2m Turnover and Expands Team
Former Wales International, Josh Navidi and WRU national squad physiotherapist, John Miles have joined Sports and fitness brand Bearhug has surpassed the £1 million turnover mark for the first time, doubling its revenue for the third consecutive year to exceed £1.2 million in 2025. The Pontypool-based company, which designs bamboo joint supports and muscle sleeves for injury prevention, pain relief, and recovery, has seen record-breaking growth which it says is driven by a focused expansion strategy and the appointment of high-profile Welsh rugby ambassadors. Over the last 12 months the business has welcomed ex Welsh international Josh Navidi and WRU national squad physiotherapist John Miles to the firm. Josh has joined as Head of Athlete and Brand partnerships, where he will lead collaborations with sports figures and brands. John has stepped into the role of Chief Medical Officer, advising on product development. Having been introduced to Bearhug products through his work with the Welsh Rugby Union's medical team, the firm said John was impressed by their performance and quickly became a strong advocate for the brand. In the last two years, the company has completed two successful community crowdfunding rounds, raising £150,000 from 38 investors across the UK. Each investor is a user and supporter of the brand, including several Welsh rugby stars such as Dewi Lake, Rhys Patchell and Josh Navidi, who chose to invest after experiencing the benefits of the products first hand. This funding has allowed CEO Rhys George to transition to a full-time position to focus on growing the company. In the six months that followed, the company's monthly turnover doubled and Bearhug was able to accelerate product innovation, expanding its product range to include new commercial offerings such as socks, hoodies, t-shirts and lumbar supports. As part of its plans to expand its presence across the UK, Bearhug has also recently secured a listing with Up & Running, the UK's largest independent running chain. Rhys George, CEO and co-Founder of Bearhug, said: 'Seeing Bearhug double its turnover for the third year running, and welcoming incredible talent like Josh and John to our team, is proof that our community-driven approach is making a real difference. 'With the support of our investors, customers, and partners, I'm excited to take Bearhug to even greater heights – helping more people move, recover, and live life to the fullest.' For Rhys, a knee injury at the age of 14 brought an early end to his rugby ambitions, while one of his co-founders had dealt with a chronic ankle injury. Both were left frustrated by the limited and uncomfortable neoprene supports available at the time. In search of better options, they discovered bamboo-based alternatives – already used in medical settings across North America and Asia – which offered improved breathability, comfort, and sustainability. However, they felt that the products they found lacked personality, with bland, clinical designs that did little to inspire. Recognising a gap in the market, the team set out to reimagine joint supports by combining proven functionality with bold orange branding and a strong community ethos. The firm said that former Cardiff Blues legend Nick Williams credits Bearhug's products with extending his rugby career by two years. It added that other notable supporters include ultramarathon world record holder Rhys Jenkins, Dirty Sanchez star Mathew Pritchard, and a host of current and former Wales rugby players. Rhys added: 'Our products are designed to be worn, not hidden. I wanted to create something that people are proud to use, something that signals movement and connection, not limitation.' Bearhug aims to further grow the business and double its turnover over the next 24 months by boosting brand visibility in Wales, expanding across the UK, and growing its export footprint. The company is due to attend the inaugural International Running Expo (IRX) in Amsterdam in November as part of its launch plan into Europe.
