Liverpool’s James Milner and Brighton’s Adam Lallana back golf performance analytics app Upgame

Adam Lallana (left) and James Milner.

Upgame, a Gurgaon-based golf app that provides data, practice tracking and coaching to players, has raised an undisclosed amount from Premier League stars James Milner and Adam Lallana, the company revealed in a statement on September 27.

Other investors in Upgame include Pawan Munjal, chairman and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, and tech entrepreneurs Danny Conway and Andreesen Horowitz.

The app currently specialises in golf and helps players analyse their game and get a deeper understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. Its map-based interface and unique metrics, that are shareable between player and coach via the app itself, have led to a 790% increase in data collection from users, the statement says.

Sameer Sawhney, founder and CEO, Upgame

Speaking about the funding, Sameer Sawhney, founder and CEO, Upgame, said: “James and Adam are legends of the game who have great understanding of what it takes to perform at the highest level, and the important role stats play in any sport. We're thrilled to have two of the world's most famous athletes join us on our journey. This funding will be used to develop the product further by adding more sports and related metrics, and help us market the app to a wider audience.”

Milner, the Liverpool midfielder, was recently in the news. His teammate Ragnar Klavan revealed that Milner and manager Jurgen Klopp almost came to blows during a tense phase in the 2016-17 season. Now 35, he is seemingly sowing seeds for his post-retirement years. Milner is the founder of White Rose Sports Management, where Lallana is a co-owner. Though both are footballers, golf is their focus for now.

Speaking about investing in Upgame, Milner said: “We love their vision of bringing performance improvement to athletes around the world, the team’s intense focus, quick execution and deep insights on their users. We are delighted to be a part of their journey.”

Golf Australia, Norwegian Golf Federation, Singapore Golf Association, Hong Kong Golf Association, Sports Authority of Thailand and Finnish Golf Union are among the national golf bodies using the app. Various PGA, LPGA, European Tour players as well as leading NCAA US college teams are also users of Upgame.