In what year was Under Armour founded?

Under Armour was founded in 1996.

Kevin Plank started the company on September 25, 1996, after graduating from the University of Maryland, where he had played football. The idea came from a practical problem: cotton T-shirts worn beneath football jerseys became heavy and soaked with sweat, while Plank’s compression shorts stayed relatively dry.

Working from his grandmother’s basement in Washington, D.C., Plank developed a moisture-wicking synthetic shirt. The early company was initially a small operation, with Plank traveling along the East Coast and carrying products in his car. The first team sale, worth $17,000, came later in 1996.

A common mix-up is confusing the company’s founding year with its later expansion. Under Armour’s major public growth came in the late 1990s and 2000s, but the business itself began in 1996. Its first prototype, known as Prototype #0037 or “The Shorty,” established the performance-apparel focus that became the brand’s signature.