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Tag: Rainmatter

  • Machaxi aces $1.5m fund raise from Padukone and Nithin Kamath’s Rainmatter

    Machaxi aces $1.5m fund raise from Padukone and Nithin Kamath’s Rainmatter

    BENGALURU:  Machaxi, a Bengaluru-based grassroots sports-tech startup, has netted $1.5 million in fresh funding to power its AI-driven badminton coaching revolution. The round was led by Rainmatter, the investment arm of Nithin Kamath’s Zerodha, and featured a rousing smash from Indian badminton legend Prakash Padukone himself.

    The funding will fuel Machaxi’s expansion into Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai, while laying the groundwork for over 1,000 tech-enabled coaching centres over the next four years, in partnership with the Padukone School of Badminton. At the heart of this initiative: an AI-led training system built to bring consistency, performance tracking and scalability to India’s fractured coaching landscape.

    “I’ve always believed the future of Indian badminton lies in structured grassroots development,” said Padukone. “Machaxi’s AI vision ensures quality without compromise — no matter where you’re from.”

    The startup’s tech doesn’t aim to replace human coaches but to empower them — standardising training methods, flagging performance gaps, and ensuring even remote centres can tap into world-class insights.

    Machaxi co-founder Pratish Raj said, “This partnership is a big step forward in our mission to make quality sports coaching accessible to everyone in India. With the support of Rainmatter and the visionary backing of Padukone, we’re working toward a future where every aspiring athlete no matter where they come from can train with consistency, purpose, and access to world-class infrastructure. Our AI powered model is built to ensure that potential is discovered and nurtured, not overlooked. We’re proud to be at the forefront of this shift in grassroots sports.”

    The playbook is timely. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global AI-in-sports market is set to grow from $1.03 billion in 2024 to $2.61 billion by 2030. Machaxi aims to ride that wave straight into India’s heartland, transforming courts and communities alike.

    Founded in 2022, Machaxi has made a name blending on-ground grit with digital smarts — and now, it’s game on for India’s next gen of champions.

    (Pictured Above (L-R)-Nithin Kamath,  Ashish Anand, Tushar Raj, Prakash Padukone, Pratish Raj, and Dilip Kumar)

  • Rainmatter fuels Sisters in Sweat’s mission to get women sweating & winning

    Rainmatter fuels Sisters in Sweat’s mission to get women sweating & winning

    MUMBAI: When finance flexes its muscles, fitness wins big! Zerodha-backed Rainmatter has pumped fresh energy into India’s largest women’s sports and wellness community, Sisters in Sweat (SIS) giving it the boost it needs to sprint ahead.

    Founded in 2017 by fitness guru Swetha Subbiah and ex-Tottenham and Fulham Ladies footballer Tanvie Hans, SIS has already rallied over 10,000 women across Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR, proving that breaking a sweat is the best way to break barriers.

    With this investment, SIS is gearing up for a rapid expansion, aiming to take its mission to 10 cities by 2026. The goal? To create safe, inclusive spaces where women can embrace sports, fitness, and wellness without hesitation. And that’s not all—SIS is set to roll out exclusive intellectual properties (IPs), large-scale events, and tailored wellness sessions, ensuring its growing community stays active, engaged, and thriving.

    Zerodha director Seema Patil highlighted the transformative power of sports for women, stating, “Sports and fitness equip women with crucial leadership skills—confidence, teamwork, and empathy. We’ve already partnered with SIS to bring fitness classes to our female employees in Bangalore, and it’s inspiring to see more women prioritising their well-being while fostering a strong community.”

    Hans, reflecting on the journey from a small kickabout to a nationwide movement, shared, “What started with just 15 women playing football has become a full-fledged movement. We are incredibly grateful to Rainmatter and Meraki for believing in our vision and enabling this next phase of growth.”

    The investment also sets the stage for the launch of The Sistra Project, an incubator designed to uplift one million women from marginalised communities over the next three years.

    By leveraging sports and wellness as a tool for empowerment, SIS and Rainmatter are ensuring that women—regardless of background—have the opportunity to build strength, resilience, and self-confidence.