After reaching R$1bn in revenue, Live! expands into wellness
Live! CEO Gabriel Sens and Welz CEO Theo Sens
Gabriel Reis/Valor
Santa Catarina-based Live!, best known for its sportswear and road racing events, is moving to build a broader wellness-focused business. After generating R$1 billion in revenue in 2025 and posting 25% growth in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period of 2025, the company is accelerating that strategy. In March, it acquired a 60% stake in cosmetics brand Pink Cheeks and is now launching Welz, a dietary supplements brand.
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The company is following the trend driving the sports industry: the concept of “wellness,” a lifestyle that integrates physical, mental, emotional and social health. According to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), businesses tied to this concept generated $6.8 trillion in 2024 and are expected to grow 7.6% annually through 2029.
In Brazil, according to the institute’s latest survey, the market was worth about $96 billion, equivalent to 5% of GDP, making the country the world’s 12th-largest wellness market and the largest in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The same momentum is evident in the segments Live! has entered. Data from the Brazilian Association of the Food Industry for Special Purposes and Related Products (Abiad) show that consumption of dietary supplements and vitamins increased 3.5% between January and September 2025, while vitamin consumption alone rose 23.8%. Meanwhile, Brazil’s sportswear industry generated $4.57 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $6.68 billion by 2033, according to Imarc.
Seeking to capitalize on this trend, Live! has expanded its product offering to follow consumers’ evolving needs. Whereas it once sold only apparel, it is now investing in categories such as footwear, cosmetics and dietary supplements.
“The idea is to offer a 360-degree solution for our customers. Our customers wear Live! to live an active, healthy and happy lifestyle. They’ll look for sunscreen before going for a run, skincare and beauty products, and, naturally, sports nutrition and dietary supplements,” founder and chief executive Gabriel Sens told Valor.
With its own in-house marketing team, the group is relying primarily on digital initiatives to drive growth across its brands. It has also strengthened its presence through sports-related experiences.
Launched in 2022, the Live! Run XP racing platform has expanded from 11 to 70 events in four years and is expected to attract about 160,000 runners in 2026. Since its creation, it has held 180 races across Brazil, bringing together nearly 200,000 participants and becoming one of the company’s strongest branding assets. Last weekend, the company staged the inaugural Live! 42K Brasília, marking its debut in the marathon segment.
New portfolio items
Founded in 2002 in Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, Live! ended 2025 with 377 stores and expects to reach 430 by the end of this year. The company employs about 3,000 people, operates an 80,000-square-meter manufacturing complex in its hometown and produces approximately 93% of its product portfolio in-house.
In November last year, the company entered the athletic footwear market, and in March it acquired a 60% stake in Pink Cheeks, which sells sunscreens, makeup and skin and hair care products designed for sports enthusiasts. The company expects the new brand to account for 7% of group revenue.
Its latest venture is Welz, launched on August 1. The brand began selling through its e-commerce platform with two products: a daily electrolyte supplement and a carbonated protein beverage. The company plans to expand the portfolio later this year into categories including protein products, creatine and gut health, reaching 15 products in 2026 and more than 20 in 2027. It expects the business to account for 20% of group revenue by 2030.
According to Welz CEO Theo Sens, Gabriel’s son, entering the supplements market had long been on the company’s radar. “Supplements have always been part of our vision. We saw a natural connection between Live!’s purpose and what consumers look for in a supplement brand,” he said.
To develop the new brand, the company spent about a year on research and development, including market studies, technical consulting and product formulation work in Brazil and the U.S.
In addition to the protein and hydration beverages launched this month, Welz plans to invest in gut health products. According to Theo Sens, part of that strategy is linked to the growing use of GLP-1-based weight-loss medications.
“We want to establish a strong presence in Brazil’s gut health category with a product that is very different from what is currently available. This is still a relatively underdeveloped segment, especially when it comes to more comprehensive and highly differentiated solutions,” he said.
Pink Cheeks and Welz products will be sold through Live!’s website and stores, allowing consumers to purchase apparel, cosmetics and dietary supplements in one place. According to Gabriel, the initiative is designed to increase purchase frequency and strengthen relationships with the company’s customer base.
