Sub4 Apparel

What Sub4 Apparel does

Sub4 Apparel is an Australian privately held sportswear brand founded in 2012 and headquartered in Hawthorn, Victoria. The company designs, manufactures (via partners), and sells performance activewear under its own label through a direct-to-consumer Shopify e-commerce storefront (sub4apparel.com), shipping domestically across Australia. Its product portfolio spans running (singlets, t-shirts, shorts, jackets), cycling (jerseys, bibs, shorts, jackets), triathlon (tri-suits, speedsuits), fitness (sports bras, bike shorts, leggings, including the coordinated Pulse sub-brand), compression garments, and accessories (GPS tracker vests, caps, socks). Core fabric technologies include the proprietary DryLyte moisture-wicking platform and compression fabrics positioned for recovery and aerodynamic performance, with marketing referencing Victoria University Australia research on compression effectiveness.

Sub4 generates revenue through two principal streams: (1) unit-priced retail e-commerce sales to individual athletes across running, cycling, triathlon, and fitness, with prices ranging from approximately $14 to $372 USD per item; and (2) quote-based custom teamwear sales to sports clubs, schools, and corporate teams across 15+ sports — including triathlon, cycling, swimming, rowing, weightlifting, basketball, AFL, soccer, hockey, netball, speed skating, fitness, and volleyball — with no minimum order quantities and sublimated custom branding. Digital gift cards in $20/$50/$100 AUD denominations supplement retail revenue. A 10% newsletter welcome discount and frequent markdowns up to 70-77% are used as customer acquisition and conversion levers.

The company maintains a cause-marketing partnership with the Amy Gillett Foundation for commemorative cycling apparel and operates without disclosed institutional investment, parent company, or public listing. Sub4 is Australian-owned, sells exclusively to Australian customers, and does not disclose revenue, headcount, or management team details.

Name

Sub4 Apparel

Legal name

SUB4

Website

https://sub4.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sub4 Apparel is an Australian privately held sportswear brand, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Hawthorn, Victoria, that designs and sells performance activewear (running, cycling, triathlon, fitness, compression) plus quote-based custom teamwear for 15+ sports to individual athletes and sports clubs across Australia via a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performance Sportswear

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423910)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Athletic / Performance & Activewear Brands (CRAAAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Running & Endurance Wear (CRAAAEAD), Team Sports & On-Field Performance Apparel (CRAAAEAE)

Keywords

• Performance sportswear
• Custom teamwear
• Running apparel
• Cycling clothing
• Triathlon suits

Headquarters

HQ city

Hawthorn

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of performance sportswear including running apparel, cycling gear, triathlon suits, compression wear, and fitness clothing. One-time purchase model for individual consumers with prices ranging from approximately $14-$372 USD depending on product category.
2. Custom Teamwear Orders: Bespoke custom teamwear manufacturing for sports clubs, schools, and corporate teams. No minimum quantities for custom orders. Revenue generated through quote-based pricing for bulk custom apparel including jerseys, shorts, singlets, and accessories across multiple sports.
3. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations of $20, $50, and $100 AUD, providing flexible gifting options for customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sub4 Apparel designs, manufactures, and sells performance sportswear direct-to-consumer through its online store, including running, cycling, triathlon, fitness, and compression apparel built on proprietary fabric technologies such as DryLyte moisture-wicking and compression recovery. The company also offers a custom teamwear program producing bespoke jerseys, uniforms, and accessories for sports clubs, schools, and corporate teams across more than 15 sports, with no minimum order quantities and Australian-wide delivery.

Product overview

SUB4 Apparel is an Australian-owned sportswear company offering a unified portfolio of performance activewear and custom teamwear. The core product lines include: (1) Ready-to-wear performance apparel spanning men's and women's categories for Running (singlets, t-shirts, shorts, jackets, leggings), Cycling (jerseys, bibs, jackets), Triathlon (suits, speedsuits, shorts), Fitness (crop tops, bike shorts, leggings, sports bras), and Compression gear; (2) The Pulse sub-brand featuring coordinated fitness apparel bundles (sports bras, bike shorts, full-length leggings, flare leggings); (3) The DryLyte line of moisture-wicking running t-shirts; (4) Custom teamwear program offering personalized jerseys, uniforms, and accessories for over 15 sports including Triathlon, Cycling, Swimming, Rowing, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey, AFL, Netball, Speed Skating, and Fitness, with no minimum order quantities and Australian-wide delivery; and (5) Accessories including GPS tracker vests, running caps, compression socks, and rain jackets. All products emphasize moisture-wicking, quick-dry, and breathable fabric technologies designed for the Australian climate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DryLyte Running T-Shirt Performance running t-shirt built on DryLyte moisture-wicking and quick-dry fabric technology, available in multiple men's and women's colorways for runners of all levels.
• Seamless Triathlon Endurance Suit Seamless triathlon endurance suit for multi-discipline athletes competing in swim-bike-run events, available in men's and women's patterns.
• Triathlon Speedsuit Seamless Aero-optimized triathlon speedsuit with geometric patterned fabric for reduced drag and enhanced aerodynamics during competition.
• Running Singlet Elite Lightweight performance running singlet for elite and competitive runners with breathable fabric and athletic fit.
• Compression Socks Marathon 3/4 Crew Compression socks for marathon and endurance runners designed to improve blood circulation and reduce muscle fatigue.
• GPS Tracker Vest Performance vest with integrated GPS tracking functionality designed for long-distance runners and endurance athletes.
• Gift Card Digital gift card sold in $20, $50, and $100 AUD denominations for purchasing SUB4 sportswear.
• Pulse Bike Shorts 4-inch athletic bike shorts featuring moisture-wicking pulse fabric for fitness and cycling activities.
• Pulse Full Length Leggings Full-length leggings for yoga, gym, and fitness activities built on pulse fabric technology.
• Pulse Sports Bra Supportive sports bra designed for fitness, gym, and yoga activities.
• Pulse Flare Leggings Flare-style leggings for fitness and yoga featuring pulse fabric technology for comfort and performance.
• Compression Garments (Tights, Socks, Shorts) Compression tights, socks, and shorts engineered to improve stability, blood circulation, and post-workout recovery for runners.
• Armor Waterproof Jacket Unisex Premium waterproof running jacket with breathable fabric technology for full weather protection.
• Cycling/Running Convertible Jacket - Gilet Vest Versatile 2-in-1 cycling/running jacket that converts into a gilet vest for adaptable weather protection.
• Custom Triathlon Apparel Fully customizable triathlon teamwear including tri suits and singlets for clubs, schools, and events, with no minimum order quantities.
• Custom Cycling Clothing Custom team cycling jerseys, bibs, and skinsuits with premium sublimation printing for club and corporate teams.
• Custom Swimming Apparel Custom-made competition swimwear tailored for swimming clubs and teams.
• Custom Rowing & Weightlifting Unisuits Custom unisuits designed for rowing and weightlifting with tailored fit and team branding.
• Custom Basketball Uniforms Custom basketball team uniforms with premium fabrics and team-specific designs.
• Custom AFL Apparel Custom AFL jerseys and shorts designed for Australian Rules Football teams and clubs.
• Custom Soccer & Hockey Uniforms Team uniforms for soccer and hockey with custom designs and branding options.
• Custom Fitness Wear Custom fitness apparel including t-shirts and performance wear for gym and fitness teams.
• Custom Speed Skating Skinsuit Custom skinsuits for speed skating with aerodynamic fit and team branding.
• Custom Casual Wear Custom casual apparel for teams and organizations beyond athletic performance wear.
• Custom Sports Accessories Custom branded sports accessories including caps, socks, and other gear to complement team kits.
• Custom Netball Dresses Custom netball dresses designed for netball teams with performance fabrics and team-specific customization.
• Custom Running Apparel Custom running apparel and accessories including singlets, shorts, jackets, and caps for running clubs and events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Compression garments improve venous return and reduce swelling, resulting in less post-run fatigue and better muscle support for faster recovery.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amy Gillett FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSub4 partners with the Amy Gillett Foundation to produce commemorative cycling apparel including the 'Amy Gillett Metre Matters' cycling jersey and bib'n'brace line. These products support the Foundation's mission for safer cycling in Australia.
• Victoria University AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSub4 references Victoria University research on compression garment effectiveness, citing their studies on how sports compression tights help athletes recover after workouts by improving venous return and reducing swelling.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 2XU: Australian-founded performance sportswear brand best known for compression garments and triathlon/endurance apparel. Closest like-for-like competitor to Sub4, overlapping on running, cycling, and triathlon performance fabrics with comparable technology-led positioning.
• Rapha: Premium cycling apparel brand offering jerseys, bibs, jackets, and custom teamwear. Direct overlap on Sub4's premium custom cycling line and triathlon-adjacent apparel.
• Skins: Compression-focused sportswear brand with a comparable proprietary compression technology narrative. Targets the same endurance, recovery, and team-sport customers with overlapping product categories (compression tights, socks, recovery wear).
• Pearl Izumi: Endurance and cycling apparel brand with technical fabrics and team customisation programmes. Comparable to Sub4 on running and cycling apparel with custom team kit capabilities.
• Castelli: Specialist cycling apparel brand producing jerseys, bibs, skinsuits and speedsuits. Direct overlap with Sub4's cycling line (jerseys, bibs, gilets, speedsuits) and custom cycling teamwear programme.

Broad incumbents

• Adidas: Global athletic apparel incumbent with broad running, training, and team-sport categories. Competes for the same Australian consumer and club/team customers with significantly larger marketing spend.
• Lululemon: Global athletic apparel incumbent with overlapping women's fitness, yoga, and running categories. Competes for the same fitness/yoga customer Sub4 targets with its Pulse line.
• Under Armour: Global performance athletic apparel brand. Competes with Sub4 across training, running, and compression categories with comparable performance-fabric messaging.
• Nike: Global athletic apparel and footwear giant. Competes with Sub4 across running, cycling, and team sports with vastly greater scale, sponsorship, and distribution.

Emerging players

• Santini: Italian cycling apparel specialist with custom teamwear capability. Comparable niche focus on premium cycling kit and custom team orders, similar to Sub4's custom cycling programme.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sub4apparel/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Sub4 Apparel