Dryvebox

Imagine playing a round of golf in the middle of Times Square. Or teeing off at a driving range at the Grand Canyon.

That’s the vision Dryvebox has for the game of golf.

Dryvebox is a technology company that’s changing the way people enjoy the sport. It’s created patented mobile golf simulators. These simulators are placed inside solar-powered trailers that make the game of golf affordable and accessible all year-round.

People spend $84 billion a year on golf. But for many, this sport is out of reach. It’s expensive, weather-dependent, and takes a lot of time. In other words, it’s not accessible for everyone, and that limits its reach.

Perhaps these limitations explain why, according to a recent U.S. Golf Economy report, “off-the-course” golf experiences have been driving the industry. In fact, they’re responsible for 70% of the industry’s growth since 2014.

Off-the-course is a term for experiences like golf simulators, virtual golfing programs, even restaurants that combine food and golf as a source of entertainment.

TopGolf, an entertainment business that enables people to wine and dine while hitting golf balls, was acquired earlier this year for $2.6 billion. And Drive Shack, a similar golf/entertainment experience, went public in 2016 and has a $240 million market cap.

Simply put, companies like these have become valuable catering to this shift in the way people play golf. But even these businesses can’t offer what Dryvebox can — the ability to bring the game of golf to anyone, anywhere, anytime. That’s the main benefit of its fleet of mobile golf simulators.

With Dryvebox, people who live miles from a course can now take in a round of golf. Its simulators can also provide entertainment at a company retreat, bachelor party, or a family gathering.

Dryvebox aims to attract the “interested in golf” sector by providing a quality experience with the technology that professionals use. In other words, its simulators open the game to people who never would have imagined they could play golf.

Dryvebox’s simulators offer the chance to take lessons, play a round on a virtual course, or take part in tournaments. The company initially set up its trailers in the San Francisco area, and have since expanded to Los Angeles, New York, and Boston. Dryvebox was an official on-the-course vendor at the 76th U.S. Women’s Open in 2021.

“I got so much more out of an hour with your trailer than weeks at a driving range,” said one satisfied player.

Said another, “I had a great time. Fun way to practice golf without the pressure of the driving range or a course.”

Dryvebox charges hourly rates for its golfing experiences. There are three options:

• Learn: Private and group coaching is $80 to $200 per hour.

• Play: Practice sessions and virtual golf is $50 per hour.

• Party: Private events and golf tournaments is $350 per hour.

Additionally, Dryvebox recently launched a subscription option to begin building a stream of recurring revenue. Memberships start at $250 per month and offer a free daily hour on its simulators, as well as discounts on additional sessions and lessons. Future revenue streams include ad sales, event-based partnerships, and merchandise sales.

Dryvebox is led by a strong, experienced team. CEO Adeel Yang co-founded a pair of technology companies that were acquired. CTO Mike Leong was a software engineer with TikTok and Uber. And Chief Golf Officer Jake Hutt is a former Stanford golf coach and PGA instructor.

Dryvebox has raised $2.5 million to-date. Notable investors include President of the Metropolitan Golf Association Michael Sullivan, and the former Director of Marketing for Facebook, Randi Zuckerberg.

With funds raised, Dryvebox will build more simulators and increase its marketing budget. The company ultimately aims to have a simulator within 10 miles of 80% of the U.S. population.

Team Background

Jake Hutt - Co-Founder & Chief Golf Officer

Jake is a member of the Professional Golf Association (PGA). For eight years, he was a golf instructor at Stanford University. During that time, he also started his own instructional golf business, Jake Hutt Golf.

In addition to his role with Dryvebox, Jake is a popular social media influencer. He has more than 100,000 followers on his Instagram account, which gives insight into how to play golf.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Salve Regina University.

Adeel Yang - Co-Founder & CEO

Adeel is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and exited multiple companies.

He began his career as an analyst with Research Corporation Technologies, an investment company providing funding to early-stage startups. From there, he co-founded Picmonic, an educational software company that was acquired by TrueLearn, a larger competitor.

He then co-founded Medumo, a healthcare technology platform acquired by Philips. After that, he spent another two years with Philips as a business leader.

Adeel earned a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and Economics from the University of Arizona, and an M.D. from the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Matt Gipple - Co-Founder

Matt has experience scaling technology businesses, as well as a background in legal matters.

After graduating from Stanford Law School, he was an associate with Latham & Watkins, a law firm. He then was a judicial law clerk for Judge Maxine Chesney, focusing on research related to IP and FDA regulations.

From there, he spent four years with Cruise Automation, a technology company focused on self-driving cars. He served as General Counsel and the company’s Head of Legal and Regulatory. Before joining Dryvebox, Matt worked in the legal division of Forward, a healthcare company.

Mike Leong - Co-Founder & CTO

Mike is a professional golfer turned software engineer.

After playing professionally, he managed golf courses, then pivoted his focus to software engineering. He began at companies AMC and PayPal, then started his own IT consulting business, which he ran for 10 years.

More recently, Mike was an engineer with Citrix, a computer software company. He then held similar roles with Uber, a transportation company, and TikTok, a social media platform.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Santa Clara University.

Co-Investors

MAGIC Fund

A VC fund investing in early-stage startups.

Randi Zuckerberg

The former Director of Marketing for Facebook.