What HUUB Design does

HUUB Design is a UK-based (Derby) private direct-to-consumer sporting goods company founded in 2011 that designs, manufactures (via third-party supply chain), and sells performance apparel and equipment for triathlon, open water swimming, and cycling. Its product portfolio spans triathlon wetsuits (e.g., Aegis X Men's at $359), swim goggles with proprietary technologies including the Altair's X:O Skeleton™ frame and the world's only 3-lens interchangeable system with prescription compatibility (-1.50 to -6.00 diopters), cycling apparel (jackets, bib tights, jerseys, aero wear), and a wide accessory range including the Big Buoy 4 (34N buoyancy, double standard pull buoys), the Catch Up Pole training tool co-developed with coach Dave Tonge, transition bags, neoprene thermal accessories, and the Sport LUUB anti-chafing balm. The company operates a Kit Builder platform for complete race-day bundles and a Custom Labs personalization service.

The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce via a Shopify storefront (huubdesign.com) with multi-currency support (GBP, EUR, USD) and global shipping to UK, EU (Germany, France), US, and worldwide markets. Pricing is unit-based across a broad catalog from $9 entry-level silicone swim caps to $359+ premium wetsuits, with a Price Match Promise. Customer segments are triathlon athletes, open water swimmers, and road cyclists, served primarily through individual consumer purchases. Distribution is exclusively direct, with no third-party retail or wholesale channel disclosed.

HUUB's go-to-market is community-led, anchored by its Team HUUB elite athlete roster — Olympic champions Alex Yee, Alistair Brownlee, Jonny Brownlee, Anne Haug, Henri Schoeman, and Jess Learmonth — plus an official partnership with British Triathlon (HUUB x BTF collection, Age Group Team program) and content channels including HUUB Casts podcast and HUUB Tube video. The company has 51-100 employees, has raised one disclosed funding round of approximately $1.37M in October 2020, and remains privately held with no parent company or institutional investor identified in available data.

Name

HUUB Design

Legal name

HUUB Design

Website

https://huubdesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

HUUB Design is a UK-based direct-to-consumer performance brand founded in 2011 that designs and sells wetsuits, swim goggles, cycling apparel, and triathlon accessories through its e-commerce platform, serving triathlon athletes, open water swimmers, and cyclists globally, with elite athlete endorsements and proprietary technologies like the Altair 3-lens goggle system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Triathlon Apparel & Accessories

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Athletic / Performance & Activewear Brands (CRAAAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Swim & Surf Performance Wear (CRAAAEAG), Outdoor Performance Footwear & Apparel Retail (Trail/Hike) (CRAMACAI), Sports, Outdoor & Adventure Packs Manufacturing (Backpacks/Duffels) (IMAOAHAE)

Keywords

• Triathlon wetsuits
• Swim goggles
• Triathlon racewear
• Cycling apparel
• Open water swimming gear

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: One-time product sales of wetsuits, swim goggles, cycling apparel, triathlon accessories, and other sporting goods through the company's own e-commerce platform. Products include wetsuits ($359+), goggles ($36-$54), swim accessories, cycling wear, and triathlon gear.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HUUB Design designs, manufactures, and sells performance triathlon, swimming, and cycling apparel and accessories through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront. Its catalogue includes triathlon wetsuits (e.g., Aegis X), swim goggles with interchangeable and prescription lenses, thermal swim accessories, triathlon racewear, cycling apparel, transition bags, and training aids such as the Big Buoy 4 and Catch Up Pole.

Product overview

HUUB Design is a multi-sport performance gear company specializing in wetsuits, apparel, and accessories for triathlon, swimming, and cycling. The product portfolio includes core offerings such as triathlon wetsuits (Aegis X), swim goggles (Altair with interchangeable/prescription lenses, Vision, Ryft, Eternal), cycling apparel (jackets, bib tights, jerseys, gilets), and triathlon racewear. Supporting accessories include swim accessories (neoprene skull caps, swim caps, gloves, socks, balaclavas, hand paddles, pull buoys), transition gear (TT Bags, changing mats), and cycling storage (FUUD Box top tube bags). The company also offers a Kit Builder platform for complete race day bundles and Custom Labs for personalized designs. HUUB positions itself as a performance-focused brand with technology-driven products like the X:O Skeleton frame technology in goggles and 34N buoyancy in pull buoys.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Triathlon Wetsuits
• Altair Swim Goggle
• Altair Prescription Lens
• Eternal Swim Goggle
• Ryft Open Water Swim Mask
• Vision Swim Goggle
• Varme Thermal Balaclava
• Neoprene Skull Cap
• Silicone Swim Cap
• Neoprene Swim Gloves
• Neoprene Swim Socks
• TT Bag (Transition Bag)
• Big Buoy 4 Pull Buoy

Quantifiable outcome

• Big Buoy 4 offers 34 newtons of buoyancy compared to standard pull bouys at 17 newtons
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British TriathloncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partnership with British Triathlon (BTF) for the HUUB x BTF collection. Includes exclusive Age Group Team collection for British Triathlon age group athletes. The partnership provides official merchandise and apparel for the national governing body's age-group team.
• Dave TongeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHUUB collaborated with swim coach Dave Tonge to develop the Catch Up Pole, an innovative swimming training tool. Dave Tonge contributed expertise in swimming technique and coaching methodology to create a product that helps swimmers improve their freestyle stroke by allowing inline water entry and preventing crossover.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sailfish: Sailfish is a German triathlon wetsuit and racewear brand with strong European distribution. Comparable mid-to-premium positioning in triathlon-specific wetsuits.
• Orca: Orca is a specialist triathlon wetsuit and racewear brand headquartered in Spain with global distribution. It is the closest direct competitor to HUUB in wetsuits, tri suits, and accessories serving the same athlete segments.
• ROKA: ROKA is a US-based performance eyewear and triathlon/surf brand with overlapping goggles, wetsuits, and athletic apparel. Comparable in DTC-led growth, premium positioning, and elite-athlete-driven marketing.
• 2XU: 2XU is a global compression and triathlon/performance apparel brand with overlapping tri suits, cycling wear, and race accessories. Comparable in premium athletic positioning and multisport endurance focus.
• Zoot Sports: Zoot Sports is a US triathlon and run-specialist brand with a long history in tri suits, wetsuits, and run apparel. Direct overlap with HUUB's triathlon racewear and accessory categories.
• BlueSeventy: BlueSeventy is a New Zealand-based specialist in triathlon and open-water wetsuits and swim gear. Direct competitor in the core wetsuit and goggles category.

Broad incumbents

• TYR Sport: TYR is a US-based incumbent in competitive swim and triathlon gear (goggles, wetsuits, racewear). Comparable product mix but operates at much broader scale across swim-only and triathlon segments.
• Arena: Arena is a global swimwear incumbent with triathlon and open-water product lines. Comparable in goggles and swim apparel, but serves a much broader pool and competitive-swim audience.
• Speedo: Speedo is the largest global swimwear brand, with triathlon-adjacent goggles, swimskins, and accessories. As a broad incumbent, it overlaps in swim and open-water categories but does not specialize in triathlon-specific SKUs.

Emerging players

• Castelli: Castelli is an Italian cycling apparel specialist with overlap in HUUB's cycling apparel range (jerseys, bib shorts, jackets). Comparable premium positioning in performance cycling kit but does not compete in triathlon-specific swim segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HUUBDesign/?locale=en_GB
• Instagraminstagram.com/huubdesign
• Xx.com/Huubdesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/huub-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HUUB Design