November 26th 2024.
Pepper Pong has been making waves in the gaming industry with its unique combination of ping pong and pickleball. Founded by Tom Filippini, the portable game has been gaining traction and has already reached $350,000 in sales as of last Friday afternoon. However, that figure more than doubled in just 24 hours, thanks to the company's appearance on the popular show, "Shark Tank" on ABC.
According to Filippini, the show's "sharks" were more interested in the company's story of bringing people together, rather than just the game itself. He believes that people are craving for connection, and Pepper Pong serves as a conduit for that. In fact, after the show aired, Filippini received over 1,000 emails from people thanking him for sharing his personal story of overcoming alcoholism.
In his pitch to the "sharks," Filippini opened up about his struggles with alcoholism and how he turned his life around by getting sober in 2016. This resonated with the investors, and Filippini ended up giving up 19 percent of the company in exchange for a $150,000 investment from Todd Graves, the founder of the popular fast food chain, Raising Cane's.
This was the first outside investment for Pepper Pong, as Filippini had already put in $500,000 of his own money into the venture. He believes that Graves is the perfect partner for the company, as he is also a fan of paddle sports and even co-owns a professional pickleball team. Their shared belief that business should be fun and lighthearted makes them a great match.
Filippini has had a successful career in the past, having founded the vacation club Exclusive Resorts in 2002 and selling it in 2004. However, he returned to the investing industry in 2010 and started Aviation Innovation Holdings, which invests in niche flight-industry companies. Despite his busy schedule, Filippini devotes his nights and weekends to Pepper Pong.
Growing up outside of Chicago, Filippini was a self-proclaimed "ping pong fanatic" and would often play with his two brothers and father in their basement. However, they would often break their paddles and had to improvise with different equipment. This led them to discover Nerf Ping Pong, a tabletop version of the game. Though they were not satisfied with the ball's quality, this idea sparked the concept for Pepper Pong.
After years of research and development, Pepper Pong now retails for $70 on the company's website. The set includes four paddles, known as "mullets," and three foam balls, called "peppers." The mullet has a ping pong base with a pickleball paddle on top, and the peppers come in three different densities to cater to different skill levels.
One of the main selling points of Pepper Pong is its portability, as players can set up a "fence" anywhere to serve as the net. Filippini believes that this solves the issue of needing a large table and the skill gap that often exists in traditional ping pong games.
Though there have been other portable ping pong sets on the market, Filippini is confident that Pepper Pong stands out from the rest. He even goes as far as calling them a "joke" in comparison. The company has garnered interest from retailers like Walmart, but Filippini plans to sell exclusively on their website for now to ensure a smooth rollout.
Pepper Pong is manufactured in Macao, China, at the same facility that produces Spikeball, another popular yard game. Filippini has sought advice from its founder, Chris Ruder, and the company distributes its products from a family-owned warehouse in Indiana. With the sudden influx of orders after their appearance on "Shark Tank," Filippini had to rely on the help of family and friends to keep up with the demand.
Despite the challenges of being a zero full-time employee company, Filippini is determined to continue growing Pepper Pong and believes that they are just getting started. For more business news and updates, sign up for our Economy Now newsletter.
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