Pickleheads has secured a $2.5 million seed round for its platform that connects and organizes games for pickleball players.
The investment is led by Overline, an Atlanta-based VC, with participation from Ardent, Oregon Sports Angels, Profluence Capital, Service Provider Capital, and Network Ventures.
Pickleheads says this investment advances their goal of strengthening the on-court experience for players through technology, ensuring competitive, social, and fun games.
“Pickleball offers something we all need now more than ever — the joy of real-world connection,” said Max Ade, CEO and co-founder of Pickleheads.
“It’s highly social, accessible to all ages, and a natural community-builder. That’s why we believe pickleball is destined to become the largest sport in the world.”
According to Pickleheads, pickleball now has over 36.5 million players in the U.S., surpassing golf, tennis, and basketball.
It is reportedly the fastest-growing sport for three consecutive years.
The immense growth has apparently caused some issues such as court shortages, long wait times, and overwhelmed organizers. Pickleheads said they are solving those challenges and that they have over 354,000 registered users, growing 405 percent year-over-year.
Nearly nine million people reportedly visited Pickleheads to find courts, connect with others, and organize games, and the company says that today’s players span a wide range of skills, making structure programs a necessity.
“Many players know Pickleheads as the go-to court finder, but we’re quickly evolving into a complete platform to power rec play,” said Brandon Mackie, COO and co-founder of the company.