Rocket Padel has raised €8m (about £6.8m) from 12 new investors to fund two London clubs with a combined 20 courts. The operator, which runs nine venues across Denmark and the UK, said the round values it at an undisclosed eight-figure sum.
Rocket Padel operates five clubs in Denmark and four in the UK, at Battersea Power Station, Beckton, Ilford and Bristol. It is also building its first Spanish venue, near Marbella.
The company calls the UK its biggest growth market. It says court time at its Battersea flagship is 95% booked.
The deal
The €8m round was led by 12 new investors, according to chairman Morten Bugge. That widens Rocket Padel's shareholder base considerably in a single round.
The company has not named the new investors or disclosed its post-money valuation, stake sizes or dilution. It said only that the round values the business in the eight figures, meaning somewhere between €10m and €99m.
Bugge said the company was open to bringing in more strategic partners where they could speed up its UK roll-out. That points to further equity raises, or joint ventures at venue level, as it looks for sites in London and elsewhere.
Where the money goes
The money will fund two sites. A former film studio in Shepherd's Bush, west London, will house 11 courts, golf simulator pods and food and drink areas.
The East Croydon club is due to open in early 2027 next to the station and Boxpark. It will have nine courts, a café and bar, and flexible social space.
Together the two venues add 20 courts. Both give more room to hospitality than earlier sites. The aim is to win event bookings and keep visitors on site for longer, adding food, drink, coaching and corporate hire to court fees.
Co-founder Sebastian Gordon said play is only part of why people visit, with socialising and client entertaining also driving revenue. He said Battersea had shown strong demand in London for padel combined with hospitality.
The company says Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Blackstone, Google and American Express have used its clubs for corporate events and client entertaining.
What's next
The raise comes as UK padel grows quickly. Active players in the UK have reached 1m, and the sport's top professional tour visited London for the first time this year.
For investors, the test is whether high occupancy and mixed revenue can make up for the cost of fitting out large urban sites. Rocket Padel is still looking for more locations in London and beyond. Its openness to strategic capital suggests this €8m will not be its last raise before the next wave of openings.
Original source: City AM — https://www.cityam.com/rocket-padel-raises-7m-ahead-of-west-london-and-east-croydon-club-openings/
