BFM 89.9
The Business Station
Selkirk’s Garage Origins, $200M Valuation & KL Expansion
31 mins·10:00, 7 May 2026
Selkirk’s Garage Origins, $200M Valuation & KL Expansion
31 mins
·
10:00, 7 May 2026
·
Recommended
Guest: Mike Barnes, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Selkirk Sport, Rob Barnes, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Selkirk Sport
How did Selkirk scale a "mom-and-pop" hobby into a $200 million pickleball performance powerhouse?
In 2014, long before pickleball became America's fastest-growing sport, two teenage brothers opted out of college to start making pickleball paddles. Today, Selkirk Sport is a premium market leader, recently securing a $30 million private equity investment at a $200 million valuation.
As they target $100 million in revenue for 2026, the founders tell us their story, but also reveal why they have anchored their global "Orchestration" hub in Kuala Lumpur to dominate the Asian market.
Tune In To Find Out:
The 1,900% Surge: The internal mechanics of scaling from a garage to a $200M valuation, and surviving an overnight 70% revenue crash.
The Vertical Moat: Why Selkirk killed the high-margin "dropshipping" model to double down on in-house US manufacturing and R&D.
The $30M Trigger: Why they finally accepted private equity after 10 years of self-funding to dominate the coming industry consolidation.
The M&A Hunt: Their strategy for acquiring strategic brands that "fit the ecosystem" to reinforce the Selkirk brand while driving top-line revenue.
The KL HQ Strategy: Why the founders are hiring 50+ staff in Malaysia to control the software and supply chain layer of their global empire.
The "Boomstick" Investment: How spending 8x more on R&D and hiring an in-house patent attorney created a high-tech barrier to entry.
Photo Credit: Selkirk Sports
Presenter: Roshan Kanesan
Producer: Roshan Kanesan
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