Wim Hof Method
Wim Hof Method is a Netherlands-based wellness company that sells video courses, a mobile app, hardware, and in-person workshops teaching founder Wim Hof's proprietary breathing, cold exposure, and mindset methodology to global consumers, athletes, and chronic-condition sufferers, supported by 1,200+ certified instructors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wim Hof Method does
Wim Hof Method is a privately-held wellness company that commercializes a proprietary methodology developed by founder Wim Hof ("The Iceman"), built on three pillars: controlled breathing exercises, cold exposure therapy, and mindset/commitment training. Operating through Innerfire BV (Netherlands) and WHM Services Unipessoal LDA (Portugal), the company delivers its methodology through a layered product ecosystem including the Fundamentals and Classic 10-Week video courses, the Power of the Mind advanced module, a freemium mobile app (Innerfire) with Apple HealthKit integration, a physical Ice Plunge hardware line, books, apparel, and in-person workshops and expeditions. Scientific credibility is anchored by 24 peer-reviewed studies from institutions including Radboud UMC, PNAS, and Nature/Scientific Reports, documenting measurable anti-inflammatory and immune-response outcomes.
The business model combines product-led growth (free Mini Class as top-of-funnel acquisition, converting to paid annual subscriptions for video courses), freemium app monetization, hardware sales through dedicated e-commerce storefronts, premium in-person events led by Wim Hof twice yearly, and instructor certification fees via the Wim Hof Method Academy, which has trained over 1,200 certified instructors globally since 2013. The company targets three primary segments: general wellness seekers (stress reduction, sleep, energy), athletes and fitness enthusiasts (recovery, endurance, mental toughness), and individuals with chronic inflammatory or autoimmune conditions. A secondary B2B corporate wellness motion exists through in-company training. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via owned e-commerce and app stores, supplemented by a global network of certified instructors operating local workshops and physical Method Centers in multiple countries.
Reach is genuinely global, with 3.5M+ Instagram followers, 25,000+ Fundamentals course enrollments, courses available in seven languages, and active instructor presence on every continent. The company maintains a lean internal team, with much of its distribution and delivery scaled through the certified instructor network. Notable risks include founder-key-person dependence (the brand is inseparable from Wim Hof personally) and reputational exposure from recent legal actions, including a 2024 defamation lawsuit against Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant and a previously dismissed $67 million lawsuit.
Wim Hof Method firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wim Hof Method
- Legal name
- Innerfire B.V.
- Website
- https://wimhofmethod.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Wim Hof Method is a Netherlands-based wellness company that sells video courses, a mobile app, hardware, and in-person workshops teaching founder Wim Hof's proprietary breathing, cold exposure, and mindset methodology to global consumers, athletes, and chronic-condition sufferers, supported by 1,200+ certified instructors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wim Hof Method industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wellness Education and Breathwork Training
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Breathwork Facilitation (Pranayama, Somatic, Holotropic-style) (HSADAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Holistic & Integrative Wellness Education (Ayurveda, Traditional Practices) (EDAAAHAH), Mindfulness & Mental Wellbeing Experiences (Stress Management, Sleep Retreats, Coaching) (THAJAHAH)
Keywords
Where Wim Hof Method is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Wim Hof Method business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Online Video Courses: Digital video courses including Fundamentals (10-week course with 13+ hours of content, weekly themes, guided breathing sessions, yoga, and homework), Classic 10-Week course (original straight-forward teaching), and Power of the Mind (advanced course for Fundamentals graduates). Courses available in multiple languages (EN, NL, DE, ES, FR, PT, RU) with subtitles. Fully integrated with the mobile app.
- Mobile Application (Innerfire): Free app with customizable breathing sessions and offline functionality. HealthKit integration for iOS users. Generates revenue through in-app features and serves as a platform for course delivery and user retention.
- Physical Products: Wim Hof Ice Plunge (home ice bath in three variants), apparel (wimhof.store), and books (The Wim Hof Method book, Journey of an Iceman e-book). Sold through dedicated e-commerce storefronts.
- In-Person Events: Wim Hof Weekends and Winter Expeditions led by Wim Hof personally, conducted twice yearly. Also includes workshops with certified instructors worldwide through the Activity Map.
- Instructor Certification: The Academy trains individuals to become certified Wim Hof Method Fundamentals Instructors. Over 1,200 people have trained since 2013. Revenue from training/certification fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Free Mini Class - 3 video lessons introducing the method |
| Subscription | Annual | Fundamentals Online Video Course - 10-week structured program |
| Subscription | Annual | Classic 10-Week Video Course - Original straight-forward teaching |
| Subscription | Annual | Power of the Mind - Advanced course for Fundamentals graduates |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Wim Hof Ice Plunge - Home ice bath hardware |
| Freemium | Free | Mobile App (Innerfire) - Free with premium features |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels10 records
Wim Hof Method product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Wim Hof Method delivers a proprietary wellness methodology built on three pillars—breathing exercises, cold exposure therapy, and mindset training—through online video courses (Fundamentals, Classic 10-Week, Power of the Mind), a mobile app (Innerfire), instructor-led in-person workshops and expeditions, an instructor certification Academy, and physical products including the Ice Plunge home cold-immersion tub and published books.
Product overview
The Wim Hof Method is a wellness methodology built on three core pillars: Breathing, Cold Exposure, and Mindset/Commitment. The core digital product offering consists of the Wim Hof Method Mobile App (Innerfire) available on iPhone and Android, supplemented by online video courses including the Fundamentals (10-week), Classic 10-Week, and Power of the Mind courses. A Free Mini Class provides an entry-level introduction. Physical products include the Wim Hof Ice Plunge (home cold immersion tub available in three models), published books including 'The Wim Hof Method' and 'Journey of an Iceman', apparel, and music. The Academy trains and certifies instructors worldwide (1,200+ certified). In-person experiences include workshops and Wim Hof-led expeditions. The company operates globally with Method Centers in multiple countries, supported by a newsletter and online community platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wim Hof Method Mobile App (Innerfire)
Quantifiable outcome
- 53% reduction in TNF-alpha (inflammatory marker) in trained participants after 10 days of practice (PNAS 2014)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Wim Hof Method
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Wim Hof Method technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Wim Hof Method partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Radboud University Medical CentrecoreLong-term research partner that conducted the foundational studies on the Wim Hof Method. In 2011, they tested Wim Hof with bacterial toxin injection. In 2014, conducted the landmark PNAS study on trained beginners. Subsequent studies in 2022 isolated the breathing technique as the active anti-inflammatory component.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Wim Hof Method competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Calm: Subscription mindfulness/breathwork/meditation app with a similar business model: freemium mobile app, content-led acquisition, and premium content library. Competes directly for the same general wellness consumer wallet share that WHM targets.
- Headspace: Founded mindfulness/meditation/breathwork app offering guided breathing exercises very similar to the WHM breathing technique, sold via subscription courses and an enterprise B2B channel (Headspace for Work) that mirrors WHM's Corporate/In-Company Training motion.
- Waking Up: Curated mindfulness subscription service built around a single authority figure with a premium course library, similar to WHM's content-led and premium-priced model. Comparable in positioning a paid subscription around a methodology rather than a content catalog.
- Insight Timer: Largest free meditation and breathwork app with guided timer, courses, and a huge teacher community, competing for the same daily-practice consumer. Comparable freemium mobile product and active community/forum that overlaps WHM's Innerfire and Facebook Group engagement model.
Emerging players
- Othership: Breathwork and cold-therapy wellness brand combining guided breathwork app, brick-and-mortar bathhouse studios, and instructor-led sessions. Directly overlaps WHM on the breathing-plus-cold-exposure methodology and validates the commercial opportunity WHM is pursuing.
- Breathwrk: Mobile breathwork app with guided sessions, exercises, and a freemium-to-subscription model similar to WHM's Innerfire app. Targets overlapping anxiety, sleep, and stress-relief use cases at lower price points, representing a low-cost competitive alternative.
Broad incumbents
- Mindvalley: Online personal-development and holistic-wellness education platform offering multi-instructor courses on transformation, health, and mindfulness. Comparable in selling premium e-learning subscription courses from celebrity teachers to a global consumer audience.
Others
- Plunge: Direct-to-consumer cold-plunge hardware brand whose product overlaps WHM's Ice Plunge line. Comparable as a high-AOV wellness hardware SKU but does not offer the proprietary method, instructor network, or breathwork curriculum that anchors WHM's ecosystem.
- Ice Barrel: Cold-plunge tub manufacturer competing head-to-head with the Wim Hof Ice Plunge on price and form factor. An adjacent rather than direct competitor: addresses the same cold-exposure use case but does not own a breathwork protocol, an instructor network, or the scientific dossier.
Regional players
- Glo: Yoga, Pilates, and meditation subscription platform with a similar content-library, app-based, and freemium business model. Compares to WHM on subscription-priced wellness content but focuses on movement rather than breathwork or cold-exposure specifically.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wim Hof Method social profiles
Digital presenceWim Hof Method financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wim Hof Method leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Wim Hof Method funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wim Hof Method M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wim Hof Method
What does Wim Hof Method do?
The Wim Hof Method delivers a proprietary wellness methodology built on three pillars—breathing exercises, cold exposure therapy, and mindset training—through online video courses (Fundamentals, Classic 10-Week, Power of the Mind), a mobile app (Innerfire), instructor-led in-person workshops and expeditions, an instructor certification Academy, and physical products including the Ice Plunge home cold-immersion tub and published books.
Is Wim Hof Method a public or private company?
Wim Hof Method is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Wim Hof Method founded?
Wim Hof Method was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Wim Hof Method based?
Wim Hof Method is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Wim Hof Method make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Online Video Courses are the primary driver. The others are mobile Application (Innerfire), physical Products, in-Person Events and instructor Certification.
Who are Wim Hof Method's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Calm, Headspace, Waking Up and Insight Timer. Emerging players are Othership and Breathwrk. Mindvalley is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are Plunge and Ice Barrel. Glo is listed as a regional player.
Does Wim Hof Method have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wim Hof Method.
What industry is Wim Hof Method in?
Wim Hof Method's product category is Wellness Education and Breathwork Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADAJAC, Breathwork Facilitation (Pranayama, Somatic, Holotropic-style), with a secondary code of EDAAAHAH, Holistic & Integrative Wellness Education (Ayurveda, Traditional Practices). Its NAICS code is 61162 and its SIC code is 7372.