In a strategic move to strengthen its position as the leading community in the padel and tennis industry, the Spanish company Playtomic has successfully acquired Sportclubby, a social platform for sports that made a significant impact in Italy. This acquisition propels Playtomic to the forefront and consolidates its presence in Italy, one of the largest padel markets, with over 2,000 clubs and an impressive network of more than 500,000 players.
Founded in Turin by Biagio Bartoli and Stefano De Amici after 20 years of experience in the digitalisation of professional sports globally, Sportclubby became a reality in August 2018, entered incubation in I3P during 2020, and in the space of a few years has now become the leading platform for sports and wellness booking in Italy, with over 1,000 clubs and 1.5 million users. During its incubation path, in 2021 the startup obtained a €950,000 capital increase from Finpiemonte and LigurCapital, while in 2022 it received a €1.5 million investment from Wylab and a pool of investors, managing to raise €4.5 million in total in several rounds and establishing itself as one of the most financed young sport-tech companies in the country.
Playtomic, based in Madrid, is the world’s largest racket sports app for players and SaaS for clubs. Through the app, players can search and book courts for padel and tennis, meet new players, find rivals, join groups with other players, improve their level or book lessons. Playtomic is active in more than 50 countries, with over 5,500 partner clubs, 23,000 courts and 3.6 million players reaching out to a community with a great passion for racket sports.
The operation emphasizes the importance of a unified marketplace, providing a single platform for all players in Italy, fostering collaboration and driving collective growth. The implementation of a unified "level schema", based on Playtomic’s established leveling system, will help the social benefits that make padel a unique sport. This acquisition marks a significant milestone for the industry, and the integration of the best features from both platforms under the Playtomic brand ensures users experience the pinnacle of innovation and functionality.
Felix Ruiz, Playtomic Co-Founder and CEO, said: “With this acquisition we finalize the consolidation in Italy. Now we are ready to offer the best experience for the players, with a robust network effect that will make it easier for them to find other people to play with.”
Alessandro Tortorici, Playtomic’ Regional Manager in Italy, expressed enthusiasm about the union, stating: "This is a very important step for padel in Italy. We are bringing the two largest padel communities together making it easier for players and clubs to make the most of our platform.”
Biagio Bartoli, CEO & Co-Founder of Sportclubby, commented: “I am excited to announce our recent acquisition by Playtomic. This significant milestone set a new era in our journey. Together with Playtomic, we become the largest community for padel and tennis in Italy. This is not merely about business growth; we firmly believe it is the key to unlocking the full potential of the padel and tennis industry”.
