Runkeeper and ASICS are Joining Forces
I have some big news today! I am proud and excited to announce that Runkeeper has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by ASICS Corporation.
When we started the company in 2008, it was with a simple mission: to get the whole world running. We saw how the rise of mobile, social networks, and personalization were starting to impact other categories, and we thought these ingredients had huge possibilities when applied towards fitness and health.
Fast forward almost 8 years, and we’ve come a long way. Millions of people use our product as a core component of their fitness journey. And our unique blend of collaborative, supportive, quirky motivation has created a brand that really stands for something beyond just tracking your runs. An amazing community (that’s you!) has formed around Runkeeper all over the globe (both the user community and the core RK team). Watching Runkeeper evolve from a mobile app to a fitness movement has been one of my proudest accomplishments.
When we look ahead, it seems clear that the fitness brands of the future will not just make physical products, but will be embedded in the consumer journey in ways that will help keep people motivated and maximize their enjoyment of sport. By putting these two pieces together (digital fitness platform and world class physical products), you can build a new kind of fitness brand that has a deeper, more trusted relationship with consumers and can engage with them in a more personalized way.
Partnering with ASICS to fulfill this vision together makes a ton of sense. We both have deep roots in and focus on running as a core component of the fitness experience. There is strong alignment between our brands and core values. And from people using our Shoe Tracker feature in the app, we know that ASICS shoes are by far the ones that Runkeeper users run in the most!
From the end-user standpoint, not much will change. Not only will the Runkeeper product carry on, but we will be able to move even faster. We will be able to pursue the vision we’ve set out to pursue all along, with a partner that can bring many resources to bear that we couldn’t fathom having access to on our own.
I want to thank each member of the Runkeeper team, past and present, who has helped us get to this major milestone. I also want to thank our investors, advisors, and the countless people who have helped us as a company and me personally along the way to navigate the twists and turns of the entrepreneurial journey.
And from all of us at Team Runkeeper, we especially want to thank the incredible Runkeeper user community! We are so grateful to be on this journey with you, and so excited to continue on it for many years to come.
Happy running!
