The Padel Club accelerates UK expansion following NPIF II funding
Cheshire-based The Padel Club, a fast-growing racket sport group, is celebrating a strong period of expansion with 8 new sites across the UK following investment from NPIF II – PXN Equity Finance, which is managed by PXN Ventures as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II).
Founded in 2020 by Kris Ball, the business was launched after he recognised the growing popularity of padel while working abroad, identifying a gap for the sport in the UK market. With no courts available in his local area of Wilmslow, he set out to introduce the sport to new audiences and build a community-focused playing experience.
The business opened its first site in Wilmslow in 2022, initially launching with two courts before expanding to four following strong demand. As interest in the sport continues to grow The Padel Club has expanded into new locations, including the opening of a flagship site at TraffordCity featuring 11 purpose-built courts, alongside additional sites across the UK.
In 2024 the company secured £3.8m, including £1.5m from NPIF II – PXN Equity Finance and additional EIS investment from existing investor Endeavour Ventures to support its expansion strategy. The investment was used to accelerate the rollout of new sites, supporting the delivery of 42 courts, as well as invest in infrastructure and customer experience.
Since receiving the funding, The Padel Club has continued to scale its operations, securing eight new sites and building a strong pipeline of facilities across the UK. The business is on track to significantly increase its footprint over the next year, bringing padel to cities and towns across the UK including Brighton, Cardiff, Chester and Handforth Dean.
Looking ahead, the company plans to continue its expansion, while also investing in its digital offering with a new loyalty app, and enhancing the overall player experience as it builds on its growing community of customers.
Kris Ball, CEO of The Padel Club, said: “We saw an opportunity to bring padel to the UK at a time when the sport was still relatively unknown. Starting with just a couple of courts in Wilmslow, our ambition has always been to build a network of clubs that could introduce more people to the game and create a real sense of community around it. The support from NPIF II and PXN has given us the platform to accelerate that vision, helping us scale at pace, invest in new sites and continue growing this much-loved sport across the UK.”
Louise Chapman at PXN Ventures, added:“The Padel Club is a standout example of an ambitious, fast-scaling business bringing a relatively new sport to communities across the UK. From a single site in Wilmslow, Kris has built a strong platform for growth with a clear pipeline of locations and a differentiated, community-led offer. We’re pleased to be supporting their next stage of expansion as they continue to introduce more people to padel.”
Sue Barnard, senior investment manager at the British Business Bank, said: “Through the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II, we’re backing ambitious, fast-growing and community-focused business that are delivering real impact across the North. Just two years on from its launch, we’re already seeing tangible results, with businesses creating jobs and unlocking new opportunities to support local economies and The Padel Club is a great example of this.”
The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIFII) covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.
The purpose of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.