Zenkai was founded in January 2018 in Portland, Oregon, by athletes who saw an opportunity for natural athletic apparel in a marketplace dominated by synthetics. The goal was to create a future for performance apparel derived from natural fabrics while helping athletes perform better by staying cooler. After raising initial start-up capital in August 2019, the company launched its technical performance base layer and training apparel. The ownership group consists of four families who together have a combined 150 years of experience in athletics, 90 years of experience in apparel, a commitment to sustainability, a shared passion for sports, and the desire to create natural, performance-enhancing performance-enhancing apparel for every athlete - recreational, amateur or professional.