PodPlay is spinning out from PingPod Inc., getting new capital to drive growth as pickleball operators turn to automation to run venues more efficiently and meet rising demand
As sports clubs embrace automation, PodPlay Technologies has secured $8 million to accelerate the adoption of its software-hardware system that runs everything from reservations and payments to digital scoreboards for racket sports like table tennis and pickleball.
The Series A marks its official spin-out from PingPod Inc., with Frontier Growth leading the round and Frontier partner Dave Pandullo joining PodPlay’s board. The funding follows what PodPlay says is a tripling of revenue year-over-year and nearly one million users served, with the capital going toward the expansion of its engineering, sales and customer-success teams.
PodPlay’s roots trace back to PingPod’s table tennis clubs, where automation helped the company run locations with minimal staff. As pickleball has exploded, the software has followed the money and player demand. PodPlay is now behind several of the more tech-minded operators in the sport, including Pickleball Kingdom and CityPickle. The company says its system can cut labor costs by as much as 66% while creating new digital revenue and social engagement opportunities.
“PodPlay was built to make sports venues both more human and more autonomous,” PodPlay Technologies co-founder and CEO Max Kogler said. “Our platform lets owners focus on community and experience while technology handles the rest. Operating independently and partnering with Frontier gives us the runway to accelerate product innovation and bring PodPlay to thousands of venues worldwide.”
Pandullo pointed to operator feedback describing PodPlay as transformative for how venues are managed and how players engage, a level of enthusiasm that is widespread.
“That customer love underscores a significant opportunity to replace the dated, fragmented tools that exist in the market today with a modern, integrated platform purpose-built for participatory sports,” Pandullo said. “We’re thrilled to partner with a team whose deep domain expertise and technology leadership are redefining the category.”
Indoor pickleball franchise Pickleball Kingdom signed a multi-year tech deal with PodPlay last year, bringing its streamlined check-ins, video replays, digital scoreboards, and tools for sharing game highlights on social media to its players.
