From Portugal to the USA: Volt Padel’s Journey in Conquering the Court

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Join Cesc and Julian in an exciting new episode of Padel Smash Academy, where they sit down for an exclusive interview with Pedro Brito e Cunha, the founder and CEO of Volt Padel! Known for their distinctive premium design and exceptional quality, Volt rackets have quickly become the favorites of Cesc & Julian.

In this insightful conversation, Pedro dives into the fascinating journey behind Volt Padel, sharing how the unique brand name was born and the special meanings behind each racket model. Learn about Volt's commitment to innovation, quality, and sleek design, making it a preferred choice for professional padel athletes worldwide.

Discover which top professional padel players trust Volt on the court and gain valuable insights into the rapidly growing business of padel in the USA. Volt Padel, established in 2016 and headquartered in beautiful Porto, Portugal, now boasts a global presence in over 60 countries across five continents.

Whether you're a padel enthusiast, entrepreneur, or simply curious about the sport's rising popularity, this interview provides a behind-the-scenes look into one of the most exciting brands in padel today.

#PadelSmashAcademy #VoltPadel #PadelInterview #PadelGear #PadelBusiness #VoltRackets

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Hey, Julian & Cesc here and welcome to
another exciting episode of Padel

Smash Academy and today we have the
pleasure to have Pedro Brito aa,

the Visionary and founder of Vault
Padel Rackets, unleash the tension.

We are all things Padel .

I

welcome Pedro.

Welcome to our show.

Very nice to be here to meet
you in person this time.

That's right.

All the way from Portugal, huh?

Exactly.

So you're here to see the
Premier Padel , right?

Yeah.

I'm

here

to visit a little bit,

uh, the market to understand a little
bit how it's going, the developments,

and of course to see the premier and
also racket X to trying to feel a

little bit, what is the market breeding.

I, I love the record.

Uh, especially we love the record.

I love the record too.

The 809 50 are my favorite in that line.

Uh, I mean, it's amazing.

Amazing.

What

record do you play with?

Well, historically I've
always played with the 700.

Okay.

That, for me, it's actually one
of the most balanced rackets,

uh, uh, I've ever played with.

Uh, but I change a lot because I'm always
trying the new rackets and when you get

new versions, so trying to understand.

So I like them all.

Uh, to be honest, I think what we try to
build our portfolio, we try to make it.

Uh, as complete and as
diversified as possible.

So we have a little bit of
control rackets, balance

rackets, and power rackets.

So I guess it depends a little
bit on my shape and my mood,

right on your day, right?

And I pick a different racket.

So, so Pedro,

tell us a little bit about, uh,
how did you start the brand?

Uh, I know you guys are
from Porto, Portugal.

Uh, tell us the whole

story.

I mean.

How, yeah, so basically I was, I
was playing Padel for a couple

of years, uh, and I was working
in a completely different area.

But in management, uh, mostly
international sales and marketing.

And I always had like this dream of having
my own project and especially connected

to sports because, um, sports fanatic,
uh, did tons difference of sports.

And, uh, the idea basically was to
create something that was really

different in terms of design.

Uh, this was like almost 10 years ago now.

The brand has more than eight.

Uh, and at that time of design
applied to the rackets was completely

different than what it is today.

So we wanted to make something very clean,
very premium, very, uh, uh, pay a lot of

attention to the details on the rackets.

Uh, and of course it had to be high
quality because we wanted to put it on

a high positioning, so premium product.

So that's how it born.

And uh, I think that's one of the things
that we always try along the time was.

Keep, uh, our concepts, uh, very
loyal in the sense that we believe

that this is the path and we believe
that people see us like this, so we

don't follow other trends just because
other brands do different things.

So we try to keep always this concept
in terms of a brand because we believe

that is what differentiates us from,
from, from, from the rest of the brands.

It's MAs mainly the design.

I think it's characteristic
from our rackets.

Hmm.

Okay.

Can you talk a little
bit about the collection?

How many rackets do you have then?

So we have, we have, we have six,
uh, we started with three rackets

and things evolved until what we have
today, which I think it's a perfect, uh,

assortment because we have six rackets.

Then we have two power, two power rackets,
which are the nine 50 and the 1000.

But they are completely
different from each other.

So the nine 50 is much more
approachable, much more easy to play.

Uh, and the 1000, it's, it's
more difficult to play, but

it's extremely powerful.

So people who like the 1000.

Usually love it and cannot
play with another racket.

But you have different approaches
for the two power rackets and the

same for the balanced rackets,
which are the 700 and the 900.

The 700 is a bit more defensive,
more gives you more control,

but still with a good power.

And the 900, a little bit more of power.

Uh, and then also two control rackets,
which are the 500 and the 800.

Also different between each other.

So we have six different
rackets from the three types.

Of rackets that you can have in Padel
and all different with each other.

So I think it's small, but, uh, very
diversified, uh, um, uh, assortment

Now, how often do you, uh, come up
with new rackets and what type of

r and d and what changes and how
do you make those changes every

time you come up with a new racket?

Okay, so we, we, we come up with, we,
we've came, we came up with new rackets

along the way, uh, with the objective of
getting to an assortment as we have today.

So it doesn't mean that we won't
have more rackets in the future.

Of course it might happen, but
right now we're happy with what

we have because it's balanced.

The, the assortment.

Uh, along the way we, we,
we developed some rackets.

Uh, together with some
players that we've sponsored.

Uh, actually it was, uh, many of the
rackets that we have today were, were

rackets that were developed for players.

For example, the 800 was developed for
a specific Portuguese player, which we

sponsored was the best Portuguese player
when we started and the second year.

And then, of course, uh uh, we.

He's not sponsored with us anymore,
but we kept the racket and, uh, because

it was really good in terms of shape.

And, uh, the 900 was actually the
first racket with which, uh, was,

which was developed for Ana Catina.

Uh, and then the 1000 was developed
for, for, uh, Augustin Gomo Slingo.

So.

It's good that we have these inputs
from the players when we develop

a racket because we understand
what they want, what they search

for as, uh, very advanced players.

And it helps us, uh, to have this process
a little bit more, uh, with a little

bit more of inputs from the players.

On the other hand, what we do is,
uh, we have two different parts

of the, of the r and d. Uh, we
have, uh, an engineering product,

engineering company that works with us.

Uh.

That's more for the basic development
of new molds, or if we want to change

something in a molds like we will
this year on three rackets, and

then we start on one with, with 3D
designs and trying to understand how

can this affect the balance of the
racket, the performance of the racket.

Then we go to 3D printing and then
eventually we go to the first samples

and try them and make adjustments.

Uh, how many samples do you usually
go through before you get it?

Right.

It depends a lot, but I, I said
it minimum three, four samples.

Wow.

Because what we do is usually when
we get, uh, let's imagine for this,

for this particular year, we are
launching now, next month we will be

launching a new, uh, racket for the
500, for the 700 and for the 1000.

So we've started this job, um.

I would say almost a year ago with
a, with a new development of the

molds, uh, we, we had different
proposals in terms of 3D designs.

Uh, and we've adjusted a little
bit from the aesthetic part and

also from the performance part.

And we come up with a,
with a final result.

And then we had a 3D uh, printing
just to fill the rackets, uh, alive.

And then we started doing samples.

When we go to the samples,
we immediately usually do.

Two or three different
samples for each racket.

So we change the materials, we change
the foam, we play with different, uh,

carbons, uh, with different weights, uh,
and trying to understand what adjusts be

better to each racket and to the objective
of each racket, because in the end.

Uh, of course we sponsor some players
that play with our rackets, but we

want to make, make rackets approachable
for, uh, normal people that play every

day and that are not professional.

That's, that's the point, of
course, but our rackets, I

think they're well balanced.

That's why our players play with the
same rackets that everybody else does.

Uh, we just ship them the
rackets that we have in, in our

warehouse, so it's the same racket.

So I think it's a good
balance that we find there.

What year did the brand start?

When, when did you.

So the brand started in 2016.

We were, the development started
in 2015, so 10 years now.

Uh, we started looking for the
first, uh, um, the first suppliers in

terms of production, try testing the
first samples, and then only after

that we were secure and we were.

Uh, convinced that we had a good
product in terms of playability.

We started working on the branding, on
the naming of the brand and on the design.

Uh, so everything came
up from 15 until late 16.

Then when, when the project official
started, the company was opened in

December to 2016, and then we started
selling, uh, second quarter of 17.

So I, I love the design.

I mean the, the very, uh.

Unique and, and simple design.

I mean, it, it's very clean.

Uh, let's talk about why, why Vault?

How did you come up with that name?

Okay.

So we, we, we asked, uh, uh, our
design agency part partner to, to,

to develop the whole brand project.

Uh.

And we knew at the time
what we were looking for.

Now, of course, we don't, we didn't
have the name, but we knew what

we wanted in terms of objectives.

So our briefing was very clear.

We wanted to have a, a word that
was small, uh, that could be easily

understood in, uh, many languages.

Yeah.

Uh, and we wanted to have something
from that words or that logo

that we could use on its own.

Uh, and, uh, we gave as a
reference, for example, apple.

Because nowadays you don't need to write
Apple to know if it's that it's Apple.

Of course you have the Apple and other
brands like the Swash from, from Nike.

So we wanted to have something strong
because we knew that if we wanted to have

a very clean and premium brand, we we
needed to have a small logo and simple

to be, uh, to have this clean design.

Um, and then we, we wanted to have some,
some concept behind the brand, some story

to tell, because I. I, I truly believe
I've worked with other brands in other

area, in wine industry, and I think that
Mo most of the brands who are really,

uh, different are the ones who have, uh,
the, an, an interesting story to tell.

So we wanted that story and, uh, we
had a couple of proposals, but, uh.

Volt was immediate
immediately my first choice.

You knew.

You knew that was the one because the
story behind it is the energy, the

voltage, uh, and in our first models
now, we don't use it anymore, but in

the first models, the numbers, they
had volts, like the voltage, like

it was the 500 volts, the racket.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

So that's really cool.

Yeah.

So that's, that's,
that's the, that's cool.

That's the meaning be behind the brand.

It's.

It's the energy, the vault.

That's why I unleash the tension.

It's our key line.

Uh, so it's, it's that story that we
were searching for and everything,

uh, fit very well when, when,
when we saw that, that option.

Wow, that's a great story.

And when did you come into the US market?

So we came in the us into the US
market, uh, two years ago, I would say.

Okay.

Uh, and it's, it's, it's
a market that's, it's.

It's tough because we know there's a huge
potential, uh, but it's still missing a

little bit that, uh, dimension, I think.

So how, how do you, how do you,
um, compete with like the Wilsons

and the Adidas and the Babylon?

You know, they, they've,
they're already kind of.

Uh, have, uh, like a footing
here in the USA 'cause that's

what the, the US people know.

So how, how are you, how are you gonna
ex expose this to the American people?

'cause it's a great racking and I think a
lot of people don't, don't really know it.

Yeah.

I, I think that, um, to fight or to
compete with, with big brands in,

in, in any area, in any industry.

You need to find your own territory.

That's what we've tried
to do all the time.

And that's why I, I, I told you guys
that we try to be very loyal to the

original concept that we have because
I think that we are, we are already

present in over 60 countries and in many
countries, people see us exactly how we

dream to be saw by, by, by everybody.

Uh, with this.

A design concept, very
clean, very premium.

So we need to be loyal to that and we need
to find our territory in each country.

Uh, I think it's more a niche.

It's not something as massive as, of
course, the other brands, uh, uh, are

looking for, and it's fine for us.

It, when we started the brand,
we didn't want to compete in the

same dimension with those brands.

We wanted to be a niche brand.

We wanted to explore this
part of, of the market.

And I think that Padel is.

So strong socially that this, this
small part is not such a niche because

people care about what they bring into
the court, not only because it's a

right nice racket to play with because,
but, but also because they, they feel,

uh, connected with the brand, with the
design of the brand and everything else.

It's, it's not, it's not
that relevant in tennis, for

example, if you think about it.

Uh, I think Padel rackets
because they have a bigger area to

communicate in terms of branding.

And also because Padel is more,
much more social than tennis

is in most of the countries.

So we try to work a lot on that.

Uh uh, and of course it takes time.

Uh, so people.

Understand this concept, and we need to
find the right partners in a market, the

right visibility, the right partnerships
with ambassadors and players to position

it, the brand exactly how we want
it, and how we want people to see us.

So we, we try to find this
territory, this niche, uh, and uh,

once we do things, go very well.

Usually

what, what's gonna be the,
the territory here in America.

Sorry, the ter when you talk about
territory, what here in America,

how do you see that specifically?

Yeah, the specifics.

Yeah.

So, um, that's our territory.

It's trying to, uh.

Look for a target of people that,
I mean territory, not territory,

geographically, of course.

Oh, okay.

The market.

The market.

The brand.

Erritory the market.

Yeah, market.

The brand territory.

It's that niche of people that are
very connected with designs, things

which, which look for a little bit
more exclusive things than watched

most of the people where most, most
of the people have on the court.

So that's the territory
we want to explore.

So what is your strategy to make
them aware of that, of your brand,

those that market.

As I told you, I think we need to
find the right partnerships here, uh,

because of course we, we, the brand
is positioned where the brand is seen.

So in the hands of certain ambassadors
and certain partnerships in the stores

where we are, the clubs where we are.

So that's how we, we need to find
the right partnerships in terms

of, uh, visibility and positioning.

Uh, that will allow us to,
uh, be seen as we want.

By, by, by, by the customers.

I gotta tell you, not only do I
love your rackets, I think you guys

have the best cover for the rackets.

Yeah.

I kid you not.

Yeah.

Number one, the material's.

Great.

Number two, you guys have a hook on it
where you can hook it onto your thing.

Yeah.

Three, you have the
pockets, they're perfect.

So you put your wallet and
you have the other one.

You can put your phone.

I mean,

yeah.

That, that design is, you don't
get that from any of the rackets.

Those details are, besides the
racket, it makes the difference.

I mean, it's like the number one outside
bag, you know, that comes with the racket.

Yeah, it's true.

Uh, did you design that
or did you think of that?

Because most people.

So you rack it and the, and the, the bag,
the, the cover is really cheap or, yeah.

Something.

You don't even get a company.

It's like a little plastic
thing or something.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We did design that as, as we do
design all our, our bags, uh,

we work with the same company.

I told you, in terms of product
engineering, and actually we do.

We do interesting things that sometimes
we, we started with a, with a, a

questionnaire, uh, to, uh, Padel
players, uh, mostly in Portugal and Spain.

Uh, trying to understand what they look
for in a bag, in a Padel bag or in

a backpack or in a, uh, uh, a cover.

Uh, and then we design from there.

Uh, so, uh, our, our
Padel bags, for example.

Usually people say that they're.

It's also, uh, one of the best in
the, in the, in the market because

they're reliable in terms of
durability, but also because of how the

functionality of the bag was designed.

I think it's very practical.

You mean the full bag?

The, yeah, the big bag for the bag.

You gotta send us some

samples to do, to do a review on,

you know, the one that
you were using today.

I think it's going back to what Seth
was saying, it's all about the details.

Yeah.

I mean, the zippers, the, the.

It's paying attention to the
little things that make the big,

the placement of the pockets.

Yeah.

You know what I'm saying?

How opens, you know, I mean,
uh, we don't have any full bags,

but we have the covers and just.

To design the, the, the
thinking, the process of how you

designed it is, is, is great.

Not, not many companies do that.

Yeah.

I think we, we, we try, we try to, to
think, think, think things from scratch

and with logic, with functionality.

And, uh, I think it, it makes the whole
difference in the end because, uh.

Trying to position, it's another
thing, of course, we, we have to

do the work in, in the markets, but
we also have to do the same work,

uh, in the brand, uh, headquarters,
developing things to be a premium brand.

So with those details that usually
people don't fight in other brands,

uh, uh, that's what we try to do.

So something that our viewers
and listeners, they, they wanna

learn because sometimes is very
confusing with the brands, with the

names, the numbers and all that.

So.

Let's go through the numbers.

The what, what do you have?

The 500, 700.

800,

800. So what, what, what,
what are the numbers

for control, control and power?

I think I, I think you went
over it a little bit, but can

you go over it again?

Yeah, sure.

So the numbers, the numbers, uh, we,
we, we picked the numbers because,

uh, initially we wanted to have
something very simple that people could

easily understand and easily name.

And then it's the voltage instead of,
instead of, uh, and it's the voltage,

you know, instead, instead of uh, com.

The different names or
difficult names to memorize.

So we wanted something very simple.

Yeah, like BMW cars.

Yeah.

For example.

Uh, and we started with the voltage.

It was with the voltage.

And, uh, we started only with two
rackets actually was 500 and the 700.

So the 500 was the less powerful.

The 700 was the more powerful.

And then we kept developing the, the,
the range a little bit with this, with

this, with this, uh, with this rationale.

So from the less powerful
to the more powerful.

But, but

not with the seven 800, right?

No.

Yeah, the 800 has a little more control
and the 700 a little more power.

Right?

Yeah.

So you went

reverse there.

Yeah.

Because as I told you, we, we launched
the 800 for a specific player, right.

And at that time we had that doubt.

Uh, it was a more a
marketing issue I would say.

Uh.

We want it to be the more premium racket.

Uh, so it would be the more expensive one.

And we were afraid that if we put it as
a 600, it could be perceived as that.

So we put it as a at 800,
so on top of the 700.

But it's something that.

We want to align for the future because
the the couldn't you go, it's much more

easy to understand if you go from the
less powerful to the more powerful.

Couldn't you go eight

50? So you, you went to nine 50.

You know what I'm saying?

So when you go from the less to the
more powerful, meaning the head shape

changes, you go more into the one
thousands more like diamond shape.

Yeah.

And then the, the 500 is
more like round shape.

Yeah,

exactly.

So that will be, I would say a 500
will be more ideal for a beginner.

Or intermediate or, or
how would you say that?

It's more control, right?

Yeah.

Usually.

Usually we don't, we don't like to,
uh, put things in that category as,

uh, intermediate or beginner because
we try to make rackets, which are easy

to play for all, uh, levels of players.

With the only exception of the
1000, uh, it's, it's clear.

So all the other rackets
are easy to play with.

Of course, that it's more.

Easy to play with a round racket in
the beginning because you'll have

a, a wider sweet spot, so, mm-hmm.

You can hit the racket, either
the ball, uh, uh, in different

places of the racket and the ball
will come out, uh, uh, better.

So I would say that if I would,
I would need to recommend

the racket to a beginner.

I would recommend, uh,
uh, a round shaped racket.

But then you have a lot of
professional players that play

with round shaped rackets.

Yeah.

So it's not a beginner's racket.

Yeah.

Uh, but it would be easy in
the beginning then advancing.

I think that both 700 and 500 and uh,
900 are good rackets, uh, to, to advance.

Uh, and getting a little bit
more of power, but also with a

good balance in terms of of, of,
uh, I love the nine of control.

I love the 900.

And then the nine 50 is also, uh, uh,
one of the most approachable power

rackets that you can find in the market
because it has a very big wi sweet spot,

but it helps you a lot in terms of, in
terms of uh, uh, accelerating the game.

Today actually, we, we,
I played with the 800.

It was absolutely fantastic too.

It's, you feel the control.

Yeah.

Good control.

Not so much power, but.

Great feel.

I mean, we always talk about this.

I mean, you guys make
good quality products.

Yeah.

You feel the, the, the love.

It.

It is not, uh, you feel
the love in each product.

Yeah.

You know what I mean?

It, it has that, that feel, you know,
it, it, I don't know what it is.

I don't know what, how to say it
or, but it has, it has that feel.

The quality.

The quality.

Quality for sure.

From, from the strap too.

I mean, the strap, you know,
you pay attention to every

single, all the details.

Details, you know.

Uh, so, you know, happy with
what you guys are doing.

Uh, American market is coming.

It's coming strong.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Uh, we're, we're here to help.

So you, you're

going to record X, right?

Yeah.

Okay.

So did you go last year?

No.

Okay.

So what are the expectations at record X?

You know, networking.

Uh,

yeah.

I, I think it, I think it's always a
good, a good moment to understand, uh.

Uh, where is the market at?

Uh, trying to understand who's
exhibiting, uh, making some

networking, but also understanding.

Even more important for me is
understanding the interest of the people

that are visiting because that's how
you can feel distraction of the market.

Uh, usually when we are in these events,
uh, as an exhibitor, uh, in the end

it's what counts, it's how many people
visited regardless of its B2B or B2C.

But, uh, you can feel if there's a lot
of people interested in a sport or not.

That's a little bit what we want to
try to understand and evaluate if next

year we could, it could be interesting
for us to exhibit here ourselves.

That's true.

Well, last year was the first year
it was good, but I think this year

is gonna be way better just because
of the premiers right next door.

It's just really smart that they did that.

So, uh, I expect a really, really good,
um, a van, you know, with Recollec.

Alright, Pedro, uh, is there
anything else you wanna talk about?

Um.

You know, uh, before we, no, I'm fine.

Out.

All better.

Thank you so much for coming.

Thank you so much.

Congratulations.

Great product.

Thank you guys.

Very nice to meet you, and
very nice to be here with you.