Immersive entertainment venues for golf, soccer, mini-golf, shuffleboard, augmented reality darts, and more have led North Texas to be called a high-tech entertainment paradise. Now you can add baseball to the mix—because Batbox is coming to Addison in early 2025.
Batbox is a social and tech-infused baseball “eatertainment” concept. Using Strikezon, a proprietary baseball simulator technology, it promises a “realistic and engaging” experience designed for people of all ages.
Video still: Batbox
Mexico-based company’s first U.S. venue homers into Addison
Monterrey, Mexico-based SIMCo launched Batbox in 2019 and has since opened 13 venues across Mexico. The company is now homering into the U.S. with its first venue in Addison—featuring 10 baseball simulators inside a 13,000-square-foot sports bar.
“Our immersive simulators and high-quality service have made Batbox a popular destination across Mexico, with a growing number of locations showcasing our ability to attract diverse audiences and create memorable experiences,” Batbox Founder and CEO Jose Vargas said in a statement. “This success is a testament to our innovative approach and our commitment to delivering excellence.”
Video still: Batbox
Designed for social group fun
Far from a one-person batting cage, Batbox is built for a big-group social experience. Each simulator bay can handle groups of up to 18 players. Customers can compete in teams in a full 3-, 6-, or 9-inning ball game or challenge their friends in a Home Run Derby or pitching contest, the company says.
Meanwhile, actual sports teams will be playing on HDTVs in the venue, with “elevated food and beverage” offerings helping to pitch a “high-energy, vibrant environment.”
“While baseball enjoys a rich history and a passionate fan base, there’s been a significant gap in immersive, interactive experiences that rejuvenate the sport,” said COO Craig Winning. “Batbox addresses this gap by offering a fun and exciting alternative, providing a fresh approach for both baseball enthusiasts and entertainment fans alike.”
Video still: Batbox
Batbox closes a $7.3M Series A, targets 25 U.S. venues by 2030
Batbox isn’t just opening things. It just closed something big, too—a Series A, that is. Along with announcing the Addison venue, Batbox said it has closed its $7.3 million Series A funding round, attracting investments from entities in the U.S. and Mexico including EMERGING Fund and MG Partners.
The funding will drive the company’s growth strategy, Batbox said—including plans to launch over 25 locations in the U.S. by 2030. Cities including Houston, Boston, and “other major league baseball markets” are on the company’s radar.
Video still: Batbox
Get on the list.
Dallas Innovates, every day.
Sign up to keep your eye on what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth, every day.
R E A D N E X T
-
The North Texas Innovation Alliance has begun offering quarterly "hands-on innovation experiences" at "the brightest and most innovative projects across North Texas" for NTXIA members. The Immersive Innovation field trips kicked off with a tour of the NSF's newly opened eCAT Center at UNT. Here's where the NTXIA is going next.
-
The newly established Texas Capital Foundation is following the first round of grant awards by opening again for new submissions this November.
-
Tarleton State University received the go-ahead for a new biotechnology institute as part of Texas A&M-Fort Worth's burgeoning downtown research campus. Approved in mid-August by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, the biotech institute is situated in one of the nation's fastest-growing life sciences hubs. "More than 5,000 biotechnology manufacturing and research and development firms — think Novartis, Alcon, AstraZeneca — call Texas home," according to the university. And DFW now ranks seventh in the U.S. for life science and biotech jobs. The Tarleton State Biotechnology Institute will focus on discovery and innovation in bioinformatics and computational modeling.…
-
Neal Smatresk's decade at UNT sparked big changes and growth, boosting its standing in academics and research. From "record-breaking enrollment" to "making UNT the highest-ranked Tier One institution in the North Texas region," his tenure marks transformation across multiple fronts.
-
The North Texas Performing Arts (NTPA) has launched the NTPA Deaf Theatre, the first in North Texas and one of the first of its kind nationally. It has appointed Daymond Sands as the Deaf Theatre's new Program Director. Sands will produce the Deaf Theatre's first major production, "It's a Wonderful Life," which hits the stage in November. He's currently directing a cast of 22 actors in the adaptation of the classic story, according to a news release. Award-winning arts educator and mentor Sands, a Dallas native who first took the stage at age five, recently received the Art Centre of…
