2XU
2XU is an Australian performance-sportswear brand best known for compression garments and endurance-sport apparel.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
2XU is an Australian sportswear company and brand established in 2005 by Clyde Davenport, Jamie Hunt and Aidan Clarke. Headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, it developed around the idea that clothing and equipment could help athletes multiply their performance; the name 2XU is commonly explained as “Two Times You.” The company’s strongest association is with technical compression apparel, including compression tights, shorts, tops and related close-fitting garments intended for training, competition and recovery. The brand serves endurance and performance-oriented activities including triathlon, cycling, running, open-water swimming, rowing, skiing, fitness and general training. Its product proposition emphasizes body-hugging construction, support, moisture management and performance-oriented materials rather than primarily casual or fashion-led athleisure. Compression garments remain the central identity of the business, while the wider range includes running clothing, triathlon apparel, training pieces and equipment associated with endurance sport. 2XU’s development included an early expansion beyond Australia and New Zealand. In March 2012, it acquired Sports Multiplied, which was subsequently renamed 2XU North America. The brand opened its first United States Performance Centre in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, in May 2013 and later opened a store at Fashion Island in Newport Beach in June 2014. Outside its home market, the company has been described as working through distributors across approximately 50 countries in Asia, Central and South America, Europe and North America. The brand has also used sporting partnerships and event sponsorship to establish credibility with competitive athletes. Associations mentioned in reference material include the Australian Institute of Sport, Ironman Triathlon, Rowing Australia, the Australian Paralympic Committee and the United States Ski and Snowboard Association. Athletes associated with the brand have included world-champion triathlete Emma Snowsill. Its event portfolio has included the 2XU Compression Run in Singapore, the 2XU Stroke & Stride in New Zealand and the 2XU Great Ocean and Otway Classic Ride in Australia. The company also supplied apparel to the Gold Coast Football Club during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Ownership has included private-equity investment. Lazard Australia Private Equity acquired a minority interest in 2011, and L Capital acquired a 40 percent interest in December 2013. The reported value of the latter transaction was A$75 million, although this figure is retained only as a historical reported transaction value rather than as a measure of current company value. In 2017, 2XU collaborated with Kanye West on a wetsuit for the Yeezy Season 5 fashion line, bringing its technical-apparel capabilities into a high-profile fashion collaboration. Public reference material does not establish a current parent company, current controlling owner, current executive roster, revenue, valuation or public listing. Accordingly, this dossier identifies the brand’s documented origins, product focus, partnerships and expansion history without inferring present ownership or financial scale.
History
2XU was founded in Australia in 2005 by Clyde Davenport, Jamie Hunt and Aidan Clarke. The company’s conceptual origins reach back to 2003, when Davenport approached Hunt and Clarke about creating a sportswear business after selling his eponymous underwear line. The founders built the brand around technical performance clothing, particularly compression garments, and the name 2XU expressed the intended idea of multiplying athletic performance. From its Melbourne base, 2XU developed products for athletes participating in triathlon, cycling, running, open-water swimming, fitness and other endurance disciplines. Compression tights, shorts and tops became the brand’s most recognizable products. Rather than competing primarily as a lifestyle label, 2XU positioned its apparel around close fit, support, moisture management and use during training, competition and recovery. The company later broadened its range to include running, triathlon, cycling and general training apparel. The company’s first major documented ownership development came in 2011, when Lazard Australia Private Equity acquired a minority interest. In March 2012, 2XU acquired Sports Multiplied and renamed the business 2XU North America. This provided a platform for expansion in the United States. In May 2013, the company opened its first United States Performance Centre in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, followed by a Fashion Island location in Newport Beach in June 2014. 2XU also developed a digital and community-marketing presence. In May 2013, it launched Athlete 2.0, an interactive microsite organized around performance apparel, recovery, workouts and nutrition. The brand used athlete relationships, institutional affiliations, team supply agreements and event sponsorships to reinforce its technical positioning. Documented associations include the Australian Institute of Sport, Ironman Triathlon, Rowing Australia, the Australian Paralympic Committee and the United States Ski and Snowboard Association. The brand has also been associated with world-champion triathlete Emma Snowsill. Its sponsorship and event activities have covered several endurance communities. These included the 2XU Compression Run in Singapore, a recurring event offering 5-kilometre, 10-kilometre and half-marathon categories; 2XU Stroke & Stride, a swimming-and-running biathlon in New Zealand; and the 2XU Great Ocean and Otway Classic Ride in Australia. The company supplied apparel to the Gold Coast Football Club in 2013 and 2014 and sponsored other sporting teams and events, including a New Zealand Davis Cup tennis team and a company-sponsored cross-country league. In December 2013, L Capital acquired a 40 percent interest in 2XU. Reference material reports the investment at A$75 million, a historical transaction figure rather than current financial information. In 2017, 2XU collaborated with Kanye West on a wetsuit for the Yeezy Season 5 fashion line, an example of the brand extending its technical product expertise into a fashion collaboration. Publicly available reference material confirms the company’s Australian origins, Melbourne headquarters, international distribution and performance-apparel focus. It does not provide a sufficiently current or authoritative account of present ownership, senior management, revenue, valuation, listing status or detailed retail operations. Those fields are therefore left open rather than inferred.
- 2017
Yeezy Season 5 wetsuit collaboration
[1]2XU collaborated with Kanye West on a wetsuit for the Yeezy Season 5 fashion line.
- 2014
Newport Beach retail expansion
[1]The company opened a store at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, California.
- 2013
Athlete 2.0 launched
[1]The company introduced an interactive platform covering performance equipment, recovery, workouts and nutrition.
- 2013
First United States Performance Centre
[1]2XU opened its first United States Performance Centre in Santa Monica, Los Angeles.
- 2013
L Capital takes a 40 percent interest
[1]L Capital acquired a 40 percent interest in 2XU in December; the reported transaction value was A$75 million.
- 2012
Expansion into North America
[1]2XU acquired Sports Multiplied and renamed it 2XU North America.
- 2011
Minority private-equity investment
[1]Lazard Australia Private Equity acquired a minority interest in the business.
- 2005
2XU founded in Australia
[1]2XU was established as an Australian performance-sportswear company focused on technical apparel and compression garments.
- 2003
Early formation discussions
[1]Clyde Davenport approached Jamie Hunt and Aidan Clarke about establishing a sportswear brand.
Products and positioning
Technical performance sportswear centered on compression technology, endurance activities, athletic support and recovery.
Performance sportswear
Compression garments
2XU’s signature category includes compression tights, shorts, tops and other close-fitting garments. These products are designed for endurance training, competition and recovery and are positioned around support, body fit, moisture management and performance-oriented construction.
Running sportswear
Running apparel
The running range supports training and racing with lightweight, movement-oriented garments intended to manage moisture and complement the brand’s compression products. The category serves both dedicated runners and athletes incorporating running into broader endurance programs.
Endurance sportswear
Triathlon apparel
Triathlon apparel is designed for multisport participation across swimming, cycling and running. The line extends 2XU’s technical and close-fit approach to prolonged activity and is central to the brand’s historical relationship with triathletes and Ironman-related activity.
Cycling sportswear
Cycling apparel
Cycling products address the needs of road and endurance riders, using the brand’s broader performance-apparel approach for sustained movement and training. Cycling is one of the sports specifically associated with 2XU’s product and sponsorship activity.
Training sportswear
Training and fitness apparel
Training and fitness garments extend the compression-led proposition beyond competition-specific endurance sports. They are intended for gym sessions, conditioning and general athletic training, with an emphasis on functional fit and moisture management.
Aquatic sportswear
Open-water swimming apparel
The brand’s association with open-water swimming reflects its focus on endurance disciplines and technical athletic use. Available reference material identifies open-water swimming as a served sport, although it does not specify a complete current product assortment.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Yeezy Season 5 wetsuit collaboration
International fashion market
2XU collaborated with Kanye West to design a wetsuit for the Yeezy Season 5 fashion line.
Outcome. Connected 2XU’s technical apparel capabilities with a high-profile fashion presentation.
- 2013Athlete 2.0
International digital audience
2XU launched an interactive microsite that combined information about performance gear with recovery, workout and nutrition resources.
Outcome. Supported the brand’s performance-education and digital community positioning; later performance metrics are not documented in the reference material.
- 20112XU Compression Run
Singapore
2XU organized an annual running event with 5-kilometre, 10-kilometre and 21.1-kilometre categories.
Outcome. Established an endurance-event platform associated with the brand in Singapore.
Brand decisions
2017
Develop a wetsuit for Yeezy Season 5Product launchBackground
The collaboration brought a technical sportswear specialist into a fashion-led product project.
Action taken
2XU collaborated with Kanye West on a wetsuit for the Yeezy Season 5 line.
Aftermath
The project increased the visibility of 2XU’s technical design capabilities outside conventional endurance-sports channels; commercial results are not documented.
2013
Expand through United States physical retailStrategyBackground
Following the North American acquisition, 2XU increased its direct retail presence in the United States.
Action taken
The company opened a Performance Centre in Santa Monica and later a store at Fashion Island in Newport Beach.
Aftermath
These openings gave the brand physical retail locations in the Los Angeles area and Southern California.
2012
Acquire Sports Multiplied and establish 2XU North AmericaM&ABackground
2XU sought a stronger operating and distribution platform in the North American market.
Action taken
The company acquired Sports Multiplied and renamed it 2XU North America.
Aftermath
The transaction was followed by the opening of 2XU’s first United States Performance Centre in Santa Monica in 2013.
Recent events
Mulsanne Group and 2XU terminate China partnership agreements[2]
Reported:
Mulsanne Group and 2XU agreed to terminate their partnership and related agreements effective December 24, 2020. The parties cited differing views on marketing objectives and future development strategy for their China joint venture; neither party was required to bear liability for breach.
Sources2 sources
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