108 From a $650M Exit to Building America’s Padel Ecosystem

Emiliano Abramzon is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and the co-founder of Nearpod, the interactive learning platform that was acquired by Renaissance Learning in a deal reportedly valued at approximately $650 million. Today, he is the co-founder and CEO of Racquet 360, a company building one of the most comprehensive padel and racquet sports ecosystems in the United States.In this episode of the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, Emiliano shares his journey from scaling a successful technology company to helping grow one of the fastest-growing sports categories in the world. He discusses why padel presents a massive opportunity in the U.S., the similarities between building a SaaS company and a sports business, and how Racquet 360 is creating value through facilities, leagues, events, distribution, and community-building.The conversation also explores customer acquisition, network effects, data-driven decision making, raising capital, building great teams, and the importance of collaboration across emerging sports ecosystems. Whether you're a founder, investor, or sports executive, this episode offers valuable insights on scaling businesses and building industries from the ground up.