PingPod
{{Short description|Table tennis venue company}}
PingPod is a company that runs table tennis venues, nicknamed "pods." Most pods are operational 24/7 and operate without on-site employees.{{cite web |title=PingPod Futuristic Table-Tennis Coming to Fort Lee |url=https://njbmagazine.com/njb-news-now/pingpod-futuristic-table-tennis-coming-to-fort-lee/ |website=NJB Magazine}}
{{Infobox company
| name = PingPod Inc.
| native_name =
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| industry =
| founded = {{start date and age|2019|07|31}} in New York City, New York, United States
| founders = David Silberman, Ernesto Ebuen, Max Kogler
| hq_location =
| hq_location_city = New York City
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served =
| key_people = Max Kogler (Co-Founder, CEO) David Silberman (Co-Founder, CFO) Ernesto Ebuen (Co-Founder) Ilya Rivkin (CTO) Ben Borton (Chief Strategy Officer)
| products =
| brands =
| services = Table tennis clubs
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| website = http://pingpod.com/
}}
History
David Silberman conceived of the idea and pitched it to two individuals: Ernesto Ebuen, a former U.S. table tennis player who took on the role of Chief Product Officer, and Max Kogler, a former Goldman Sachs employee and businessman, who joined as the CEO.{{cite web |last1=Greenberg |first1=Zachary |title=Previewing PingPod: The Autonomous Ping Pong Revolution |url=https://jewishlink.news/previewing-pingpod-the-autonomous-ping-pong-revolution/ |website=Jewish Link|date=4 April 2023 }} PingPod's first location was opened in 2020 on the Lower East Side in New York City.
Features
Locations are equipped with features like automated scorekeeping and the capability to replay moments in a match, called PodPlay.{{cite web |last1=Quinn |first1=Liam |title=PingPod, a 24/7 ping pong center, is coming to Fort Lee. Here is what to expect |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/fort-lee/2023/03/30/pingpod-location-fort-lee-nj-hours-rules-reservations/70060956007/ |website=NothJersey.com}}{{cite web |last1=Lemire |first1=Joe |title=Table Tennis Venue Startup PingPod Raises $10 Million, New Philadelphia Location Coming |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2022/03/18/Technology/table-tennis-venue-startup-pingpod-raises-10-million-new-philadelphia-location-coming.aspx |website=Sports Business Journal|date=18 March 2022 }} PodPlay licenses its reservation management software and instant replay and scoreboard system to other venue operators, namely in the pickleball space.{{cite web |last1=Lu |first1=Yiren |title=How Many Employees Should Be Working In Your Store? The Answer Might Be Zero — Here's How One Company Does It |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/technology/how-many-employees-should-your-company-have/464717 |website=Entrepreneur|date=14 November 2023 }}
Locations
PingPod runs several locations across most of New York City, Brooklyn,{{cite web |last1=Robles |first1=Brianna |title=Downtown Brooklyn Becomes Home for New PingPod Location |url=https://www.bkreader.com/featured-news/downtown-brooklyn-becomes-home-for-new-pingpod-location-6586871 |website=BK Reader|date=21 February 2023 }} New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston,{{cite web |last1=Green |first1=Hannah |title=Kendall Square, North Station are getting tech-enabled ping-pong 'pods' |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/inno/stories/news/2023/07/27/pingpod-boston-cambridge-locations.html |website=Bostinno}} Chicago,{{cite web |last1=McGowan |first1=Elliot |title=A 24/7 Ping Pong Center Has Opened In River North |url=https://secretchicago.com/ping-pong-pods-chicago/ |website=Secret Chicago|date=7 December 2023 }} Miami, as well as internationally in Bristol, UK{{cite web |last1=Bojnansky |first1=Eric |title=New York company to open two automated ping-pong locations in Miami |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2024/01/16/ping-pong-startup-expands-into-miami.html |website=South Florida Business Journal}} and the Philippines.