Loop Earplugs, an Antwerp-based scale-up producing fashionable earplugs, has secured €50 million in new funding. The company plans to use the capital to expand globally and develop new products.

Loop and soulcycle partner to help riders protect their hearing without missing a beat. February 18, 2026 Award-winning Experience 2 Earplugs are now available in studios nationwide, prioritizing hearing protection and allowing riders to focus on music and movement. February 18,2026 - Loop Earplugs, the Belgian lifestyle brand merging innovation, performance, and style to revolutionize hearing protection, today announces a partnership with SoulCycle, the global indoor cycling brand known for its dynamic, music-driven rides. From February 18 through August 17, Loop earplugs will be available in studios across all major U.S. cities, bringing hearing protection to SoulCycle's signature, beat-based rides and allowing riders to fully enjoy the music and movement. Loop Earplugs is grounded in the idea that everyone should be able to live life at their own volume - regardless of their environment. Whether for performance, recovery, sleep, entertainment, or social interaction, Loop provides comfort, clarity, and control. SoulCycle riders can now purchase the Experience 2 model in black or gold, in studios or online. With over 17 dB of hearing protection and a secure, comfortable fit, Loop helps riders enjoy every beat, making it the ultimate wellness accessory for the ride and beyond. "We started Loop to make hearing protection something people actually use," said Maarten Bodewes, Co-Founder of Loop. "Music is a core part of a SoulCycle class, and people shouldn't have to choose between protecting their hearing and enjoying it." Since its founding nearly two decades ago, SoulCycle has grown from a boutique fitness disruptor into a global cultural phenomenon. Its devoted following is built on the power of music, community, and a mind-body-soul connection. SoulCycle's candlelit studios block out distractions and allow riders to fully immerse themselves in rhythm-led choreography and the joy of communal movement. In this environment, protecting hearing is essential, and Loop earplugs support riders in caring for their hearing health, both now and in the long run. "At SoulCycle, we're always thinking about how to evolve the rider experience to support performance and long-term well-being," said Evelyn Webster, CEO of SoulCycle. "This partnership with Loop Earplugs gives our riders an option to protect their hearing without sacrificing the class they know and love. It's a natural extension of how we think about holistic wellness." The partnership follows a monumental 2025 for Loop Earplugs, during which the brand expanded into new cultural pockets across motorsports, fashion, and music. Last year, Loop became an official partner of McLaren, collaborated with Swarovski to bring hearing protection into fashion, and strengthened its presence in live music as a global partner of Tomorrowland and the official earplug partner of Coachella. Building on that momentum, Loop is now entering the group fitness space, where performance and long-term hearing health intersect. By partnering with SoulCycle, Loop brings its mission into the studio, making hearing protection a seamless part of music, movement, and culture. Loop Experience 2 earplugs are available in select SoulCycle studios nationwide and online at soul-cycle.com. Participating studios include locations in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Texas and Florida. For more information on these rides and Loop Earplugs, please visit loopearplugs.com and soulcycle.com About Loop. Loop is a Belgian-based brand revolutionizing earwear by merging innovation, performance, and style. Since its founding in 2016 by Maarten Bodewes and Dimitri O, Loop has sold over 20 million earplugs globally, empowering people to live life at their volume - whether it's trackside at a Formula 1 Grand Prix or in everyday routines like studying and traveling. Recognized by The New York Times as "the best earplugs for concerts," Loop designs are certified hearing protection that offer safety, clarity, and confidence. Headquartered in Antwerp with offices in Amsterdam and New York, Loop employs a diverse team of over 250 full-time staff. About soulcycle. SoulCycle is a premier indoor cycling experience that redefines mind-body cardio by creating a space for riders to feel through movement. From the candlelit rooms to the curated playlists and empowering messages of its instructors, the SoulCycle experience is designed to be a sanctuary for its community of riders. Launched in New York City in 2006, SoulCycle spans more than 60 studios across the U.S. and U.K. and draws a loyal community of riders year after year. SoulCycle's studios are popular destination spaces outfitted with curated art and the brand's proprietary retail fitness and lifestyle collection, Soul by SoulCycle.

Placing the Brand and Marketing Director at Carmoola. Marketing headhunters, tml Partners, are delighted to have partnered with the team at Carmoola to source their new Brand and Marketing Director. Founded in 2021, Carmoola is a high-growth fintech startup on a mission to make the UK car finance market faster, fairer, and entirely built around the customer. Having raised funding from top-tier investors and helped over 10,000 customers get behind the wheel, the business is scaling rapidly with 200% YoY growth. With a best-in-class NPS of 92, Carmoola's product experience is already industry-leading. As the company moves toward scaling from £15M to £100M+ in revenue, the business remains focused on revolutionising a traditional industry through seamless technology and a customer-centric approach. The challenge. As Carmoola prepared for its next phase of growth, leadership recognised the need for a visionary brand leader to achieve a step-change in creative output and emotional resonance. The mandate was to find a foundational Brand and Marketing Director who could blend strategic brand leadership with breakthrough creativity to make Carmoola "unforgettable." The incoming leader would be entrusted with full responsibility for brand strategy and customer engagement across all touchpoints. Key requirements for the role included deep brand expertise, a sharp understanding of behavioural psychology to drive smarter marketing decisions, and a strong commercial instinct to align brand strategy with aggressive revenue growth targets. The business needed someone capable of navigating the complexities of a scaling fintech while maintaining the agility of a "small but mighty" team. The solution. tml Partners was selected by Carmoola following a competitive pitch process. Malisha Patel, Head of the Financial Services practice at tml Partners, led the search and adopted a deeply collaborative approach. Malisha worked closely with CEO Aidan Rushby and Chief of Staff Anoushka Amin to define the world-class talent required for such a pivotal role. By maintaining a continuous feedback loop and leveraging a deep understanding of the CEO's pressures and the company's need for efficiency, tml Partners narrowed the search effectively. A key strategic pivot during the process was the decision to look beyond the financial services sector to find a candidate who could bring fresh, consumer-centric perspectives. Their specialist expertise in senior marketing appointments allowed tml Partners to mitigate the risks associated with such a high-stakes hire. The search resulted in the successful appointment of Rachel Kaplan, a high-calibre marketing leader with extensive experience in scaling global consumer brands. Rachel joined from Loop Earplugs, where she served as Director of Brand & Go-to-Market, and her background includes senior roles at Tangle Teezer and Dyson. Rachel has now settled into the role and is thriving, leading the charge to make Carmoola a household name as they redefine the car-buying experience. About tml Partners: specialist headhunters for marketing commercial roles. tml Partners are specialists in Executive Search with access to a global network of commercial, marketing, communications, brand, product and digital leaders. Our team work with businesses ranging from fast-growth challe nger brands to blue-chip organisations to develop their in-house tea ms. As one of the world's leading commercial and marketing recruitment agencies, we can support whether you're seeking interim or permanent solutions. Our team has the expertise to support across various sectors and locations. To learn how tml Partners can help you, please get in touch.