Spartus
Grit standoutR&D-first and transparent, with material choices that cut against trends.
United States · Founded 2022
- HQ
- Denver, Colorado metro area (founded in California)
- Country
- United States
- Founded
- 2022
- Leadership
- Josh (Joshua) Kim; background in engineering, law, finance and operations
The story
Spartus is an R&D-first operation built by a founder combining an unusually broad skill set (engineering, legal, finance and operations) into paddle design. The brand made its name on transparency and on material choices that cut against prevailing trends.
The Ballista deliberately avoided the raw carbon fiber wave in favor of an epoxy and granule paint mix, and the Olympus introduced a hand-built polymer core. Pricing consistently undercuts equivalent performance.
Shape decoder
| Model / shape | Category | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elongated | Elongated | - | e.g. the Spitfire |
| Hybrid | Hybrid | - | e.g. the Olympus and Odyssey Apex (16mm) |
| Widebody | Widebody | - | Wide-body Kevlar builds exist in the line |
Spartus describes shapes conventionally rather than with proprietary names. Confirm the current shape matrix per model.
Surface technologies
- TruGrit · The current surface technology, paired with the Boost Core in the Apex series.
- Epoxy and granule paint mix · Ballista, chosen for speed, stability and durability.
- Carbon fiber and Kevlar faces · Across the range.
Core technologies
- Ascension Core · A handcrafted proprietary performance polymer core; each one takes almost three hours to build by hand.
- Boost Core · Odyssey Apex series.
- Phalanx System · Structural integrity reinforcement, a durability differentiator.
Series and models
Ballista (V1 / V2), Apollo, Olympus, Spitfire, Odyssey Apex.
Worth knowing
The Apollo was dubbed "the new king of spin" by STS Pickleball on release and launched at $117. The Ballista V2 was marketed as the fastest thermoformed paddle on the market after eight months of R&D.