According to Forbes, Selkirk has recently received a USD $30 million growth equity investment from New York-based Bluestone Equity Partners. The deal marks the company’s first outside capital raise and values the business at approximately USD $200 million.
Founded in 2014 by the Barnes family—brothers Mike, Rob, and Tom, alongside their father Jim—Selkirk’s growth has mirrored pickleball’s own trajectory. What began as a small-scale operation producing roughly 25 paddles a day has evolved into a vertically integrated brand manufacturing paddles, balls, nets, footwear, and apparel across facilities in both the United States and overseas.
Selkirk products are now widely available online and through major retailers such as Target, Costco, and Amazon, reflecting the brand’s steady expansion beyond niche sporting outlets.
Since 2019, the company’s revenue has reportedly increased by 1,900 percent, underscoring the pace at which pickleball-related demand has accelerated.
Selkirk expects to generate at least USD $100 million in revenue this year and has grown its workforce to more than 200 full-time and part-time employees. Despite this expansion, the Barnes family remains firmly in control of day-to-day operations, with Mike and Rob serving as co-CEOs, Jim as President, and Tom leading Research and Development.
The partnership with Bluestone is intended to support Selkirk’s next phase of growth, particularly its push into international markets, with Asia identified as a key area of focus. At the same time, the company plans to continue investing in product innovation and technology while maintaining an exclusive focus on pickleball rather than branching into other sports.
Forbes reports that Selkirk deliberately sought a minority investment arrangement, allowing the company to access growth capital without relinquishing control.
Founded in 2023 and led by Bobby Sharma, Bluestone Equity Partners invested in Selkirk through its USD $300 million debut fund, Bluestone Capital I. Selkirk represents Bluestone’s first investment in the pickleball space, though Sharma indicated that further complementary investments may follow.
Pickleball, Sharma noted, has “crossed from trend into an enduring, mass participation sport,” a view increasingly shared by investors as the sport’s commercial ecosystem continues to mature.
Selkirk’s recent collaborations, including a limited-edition paddle developed with Tesla, further highlight how pickleball brands are beginning to intersect with mainstream consumer culture—another signal that the sport’s growth is no longer confined to the court alone.
