Pongbot found an audience with its first tennis ball machine. Its next product is more ambitious: a robot intended not only to feed balls but to coach players across several racket sports.
The company has also drawn attention from private investors. In the first half of 2025, it completed three funding rounds totaling a nine-figure RMB sum. Pongbot said its products have attracted more than 300,000 users worldwide and served more than two billion balls.
Specialized hardware companies, however, have little time to grow quietly. New entrants are crowding into tennis equipment, including Chinese hardware startups and established overseas manufacturers pursuing professional users.
Pongbot had considered expanding beyond tennis for some time. In May, it introduced Aura, its first multisport coaching robot, moving from tennis training equipment toward machines designed for several sports.
Aura raised more than USD 1 million within five hours of its Kickstarter launch. The campaign has since collected nearly USD 4 million.
