AO Ventures expands investment in financing solutions provider Mindspring

AO Ventures, the investment arm of the Australian Open and Tennis Australia, has announced further backing of the Belgian firm Mindspring Padel, which offers fully financed and technology-enabled padel court infrastructure.

The follow-on investment builds on AO Ventures’ initial backing of the company in early 2025 and reflects Mindspring’s growth as demand for padel infrastructure continues to increase rapidly across international markets.

No other company is said to generate revenue globally from a larger number of padel courts, with Mindspring said to be a clear leader in the sector.

As part of the new investment, AO Ventures will also join the Mindspring Padel board.

The Loonbeek-based firm provides financing solutions that enable clubs and venue operators to build padel courts without the significant upfront capital traditionally required.

By removing this barrier, the company is helping unlock new opportunities for clubs, communities and commercial operators to participate in one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.

Padel has experienced extraordinary global growth over the past decade, and as participation continues to surge, access to capital required to build high-quality infrastructure has emerged as one of the sport’s most significant constraints.

Mindspring’s model aims to directly address this challenge by enabling clubs and venue operators to finance the development of new courts and accelerate the growth of padel facilities globally.

AO Ventures general partner Todd Deacon said the investment reflects the fund’s conviction in both the long-term opportunity for padel and Mindspring’s role in helping unlock that growth.

“Padel is experiencing extraordinary global growth, but one of the biggest constraints on the sport’s expansion is access to flexible capital to build quality infrastructure,” he said.

“Mindspring has developed a model that removes a key barrier for clubs and operators by enabling them to build courts faster and with far greater flexibility.

“At AO Ventures we look for high growth companies where our capital and business can help unlock the next phase of growth, and we believe Mindspring has the potential to play an important role in scaling padel globally and also locally here in Australia.”

Anton Brams, founder of Mindspring Padel, welcomed the continued support from AO Ventures as the company expands its footprint internationally.

“Our mission has always been to accelerate the global rollout of padel infrastructure,” he said.

“Having the continued support of AO Ventures – with their deep expertise in racquet sports and global perspective on participation growth – is incredibly valuable as we continue to expand into new markets.”

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