Sportstech Startup Hudle Bags $2.5 Mn

Sportstech startup Hudle has raised $2.5 Mn (around INR 21.5 Cr) in a Series A funding round led by Sky Impact Capital to boost its sports community platform. 

The round also saw participation from Physis Capital, Atrium Venture, Blue Tokai and Nitro Commerce founders, tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi and cricket presenter Gaurav Kapur. 

The startup plans to use the fresh capital for expansion and strengthen its technology and product innovation.

“Hudle will use the funds to fast-track product innovation, including frictionless booking, match discovery and performance tracking features to improve the player experience with a specific focus on pickleball and padel, the two fastest growing sports in India and globally,” the startup said in a statement. 

Founded in 2015 by Suhail Narain, Arjun Singh Verma, and Sonam Taneja, Hudle enables sports enthusiasts to find and book more than 40 sports across 2000 sports venues across the country. 

It has sports complexes for badminton, pickleball, padel, football and box cricket across 60 cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jaipur, Goa, Chennai and Ahmedabad, among others.  

“We are adding over 300 pickleball courts every month. We have seen that people love the sport once they try it. This fundraise isn’t just about scale — it’s about doubling down on the experience, the tech and the community,” said Narain. 

Hudle further said in the statement that next month it is rolling out a rating system, Game Rating Index for Players (GRIP), to track progress and connect with players of similar skill levels.

In 2023, Hudle acquired a controlling stake in sports startup Sportido for an undisclosed amount to bolster its presence in the North India market for amateur sports. 

The Indian sports market is booming with sports enthusiasm, digital transformation and operational efficiency in the country. 

According to a joint report by Google and Deloitte, the Indian sports market was valued at INR 4,51,724 Cr ($52 Bn) in FY24 and is projected to reach INR 11,29,310 Cr ($130 Bn) by FY30. 

The startups at the forefront of sports transformation in India include FITPASS, KheloMore, Machaxi, Padel Park and SportsSkill, among others. 

Meanwhile, companies like Swiggy are also showing interest in sportstech by foraying into the space. In January, the foodtech giant got approval from the corporate affairs ministry (MCA) to incorporate its sports arm, Swiggy Sports Private Limited.

Last year, cofounder of ecommerce platform DealShare, Sourjyendu Medda floated a new venture, Sports For Life (SFL). 

Sportstech platforms like KheloMore, SportVot and Machaxi also raised funding in 2024. KheloMore raised $2 Mn in a Pre-Series A funding round led by Clear Bridge Ventures LLP’s designated partner Rajdip Gupta and edtech Unicorn Eruditus’ founder Ashwin Damera in July last year. 

Prior to that, Machaxi raised INR 4.8 Cr in a Pre Series A funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures, with participation from Curefit cofounder Ankit Nagori.

SportVot raised INR 9.4 Cr in a pre-Series A funding round led by Omidyar Network India, with participation from Anicut Capital, StartupLynk, Ventana Ventures and existing investors Capital A, Ankur Capital, SucSEED Indovation fund and Marwah Sports.

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