taking a stake.

The company said it’s more than an investment deal though and is a “significant partnership” with the Irish national “becoming a shareholder with an aim to support the business and help raise the profile of the brand internationally”.

The four-year-old brand has recently restarted its UK retail expansion drive with a new ‘clubhouse’ store following the initial opening at Westfield London last year. It has plans for further openings this year.

The company has benefited from celebrity links since its inception with Irish rugby star Brian O’Driscoll being an early investor in the business and Joe Wicks and musician Niall Breslin also known to be fans of the brand.

CEO Niall Horgan said that Horan has for 10 years “represented Ireland with optimism, inclusivity, energy and positivity on a global stage and has become a household name across the world. He is what we aspire to become as a business. We hope that with his guidance and direction Gym+Coffee can emulate some of the success he’s had and proudly represent Ireland internationally”.

And new investor Horan added: “I've been a fan of Gym+Coffee for some time both as a brand and a business. I love the idea of the community they created around the brand and their goals to Make Life Richer. The first time I bought some Gym+Coffee gear I was struck by the high quality of the clothing and I was delighted to see they were an Irish brand with a serious team behind their operation. As I looked into it more, I started to understand their ambition and I’m delighted now to become part of the team that will hopefully bring the brand to a wider audience.”

The company is making the most of the athleisure boom that has seen the category growing fast in recent years with predictions of a global $500 billion value by the end of next year. It was worth just $300 billion in 2018.