Why startup investors are eyeing sports teams

BENGALURU: Tech entrepreneurs, startup founders, and enterprise capitalists are broadening their funding horizons by buying stakes in sports teams. This strategic diversification demonstrates their understanding of sports leagues as efficient channels for group growth, model institution, and asset creation.The growth past established sports like cricket and soccer indicators a change in India’s sporting panorama, with enterprise leaders figuring out untapped potential in sports leagues.
Accel associate Prashanth Prakash, together with Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath and Curefoods’ Ankit Nagori, acquired the Bengaluru Badgers franchise within the Global eCricket Premier League (GEPL), a structured esports league organised by JetSynthesys. Separately, Swiggy, along with cricketer Rishabh Pant, co-owns the Mumbai Pickle Power group within the newly launched World Pickleball League. PhonePe founders Sameer Nigam and Rahul Chari, in the meantime, purchased the Mumbai Meteors group within the Prime Volleyball League earlier.

Unlike superstar possession fashions that dominate conventional leagues, these founders and investors are bringing an entrepreneurial lens to sports. “We intentionally positioned GEPL to attract builders – founders and VCs who understand zero-to-one growth, who can scale ecosystems, not just invest in them,” Rajan Navani, founder and CEO of JetSynthesys, informed TOI. For Prakash, backing a group in GEPL was like evaluating a startup.“Two things stood out for us,” he mentioned. “First, the right to win – whether the underlying technology creates a sustainable moat. Second, whether this is a pull product for the next decade. In India’s Gen Z landscape, this has that potential.”
Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, an early supporter of JetSynthesys, believes the intersection of sports and expertise is a pure evolution. “We need to reimagine how the physical and digital worlds come together,” he mentioned. “Leagues like GEPL are about building new economic activity – creating players, owners, leagues, and sponsors in ways that didn’t exist before.”
Navani identified that franchise house owners like Prakash and Kamath are not simply monetary backers. “They are partners helping to shape the league,” he mentioned. “They understand the value of investing early, building brands, nurturing communities, and thinking globally from day one.” Unlike conventional company investors, many of those founders carry operational experience, agility, and a long-term horizon to group possession.“In large business houses, a team might be one among many investments,” Navani mentioned. “With founder-owners, the focus, involvement, and strategic thinking are different.”
If profitable, this rising mannequin may reshape how sports franchises are in-built India. Future leagues – throughout e-sports, volleyball, and pickleball – could possibly be more and more seeded by startup-style builders somewhat than conglomerates or celebrities.