A private equity firm has combined three big pickleball companies under one umbrella: Paddletek, ProXR Pickleball, and Boundless Pickleball.

Thirty-5 Capital, LLC, a firm focused on sports technology, announced the formation of United Pickleball Paddles, a subsidiary of their pickleball investment portfolio, through the acquisition of Paddletek (they already owned ProXR and Boundless).

"United Pickleball Paddles’ mission is to advance the sport of pickleball, which includes our goal of developing the best paddles, apparel, and equipment for all players throughout the world, regardless of their skill and experience level,” said Ron Saslow, Founder and Managing Partner of Thirty-5 Capital.

“Combining multiple respected brands under one entity will allow us to provide unparalleled choices for our customers, while allowing for great efficiencies for our manufacturing and distribution partners.”

Considering which pro players use those brands' paddles, this merger could be an impactful one:

Notable pros who use ProXR paddles include Zane Navratil, Riley Newman, Connor Garnett, Andre Mick, CJ Klinger, and Emily Ackerman.

Notable pros who use Paddletek paddles include world number one Anna Leigh Waters, Leigh Waters, Irina Tereschenko, Andrea Koop, and Riley Bohnert.

Thirty-5 Capital is also the majority owner of 2x Major League Pickleball Champion franchise, the Chicago Slice, and has recently made investments in businesses across pickleball.

Boundless Pickleball is an interesting pickup. The brand is known for adding customizable NCAA-licensed imagery to USAP-approved paddles so players can represent their alma maters.

“This venture will accelerate the success of all 3 of these unique and important brands. We are also committed to add other strategically significant brands to the family - Stay tuned...” Saslow said.

Implications & more info

According to a press release, United Pickleball Properties’ mission is to "advance the sport of pickleball ... developing the best paddles, apparel, and equipment for all players throughout the world, regardless of their skill and experience level.”

Anna Leigh Waters is quoted in the release as well:

Up until now, it's Selkirk and JOOLA who've had the numbers in the race to sign top pros.

But with the formation of this new conglomerate paddle company, a new, unified competitor has stepped into the ring.

Read Next: Experimenting with Paddle Grip Position