Sports tech startup Game Theory bags funding from badminton legend Pullela Gopichand, others

(L-R) Game Theory founders Sukrut Gejji, Sudeep Kulkarni and Saket Gejji

Indian sporting legends, including Padma Bhushan Pullela Gopichand, have backed a sports gamification tech startup Game Theory.

The financing is part of its ‘Masters’ round that aims to bring in some of the best “player-coaches” in the world as investors, the Bengaluru-based startup said on July 30. These personalities can provide deep insights across sports like badminton, squash, table tennis and tennis, it said.

Gopichand, previously a top-ranked badminton player, is the chief national coach for the national team. Other investors include former professional squash player Saurav Ghosal and table tennis player Sharath Kamal.

While the size of the funding round was not undisclosed, Game Theory said the athletes made substantial financial investments, unlike typical celebrity partnerships that primarily involve brand association.

"Their expertise and backing will be instrumental in advancing Game Theory’s vision of shaping future champions in preparation for the 2036 Olympics," the startup said in a statement.

Game on

The firm plans to use the funds raised to advance athletes from foundational skills to elite competitive levels by leveraging cutting-edge technologies into training.

Founded in 2019 by Sudeep Kulkarni, Game Theory integrates its technology stack with sports education to create a more focused, personal and habit-forming experience for training and casual play in a mobile app.

Coaches can also focus on long-term athlete development and spend more time on grassroots development, the company said.

This approach includes combining computer vision-driven analytics, artificial intelligence-powered performance tracking, and real-time feedback to identify talent early and enhance training outcomes specific to each person, it said.

Gopichand said a strong grassroots programme is a necessity to generate a large talent pool for the future.

"Our country has seen significant growth in badminton over the last few years, with aspirations from across all economic strata to participate in the sport. By investing in this venture, I hope to contribute to building a robust sports ecosystem that nurtures talent from the grassroots level," he said.

"With Game Theory's technology, we'll not only be able to deliver a great programme but also scout future talents, helping us win in the sport on a global scale. We can now create a structured and highly personalised pathway that guides young athletes to excel globally, particularly at the Olympics."

Gopichand played a key role in establishing sports analytics startup Matchday AI, which was acquired by Game Theory in November 2023.

The startup had raised $2 million from Nithin Kamath’s Rainmatter, tennis player Rohan Bopanna, WEH Ventures, and Prequate Advisory along with a few other angel investors in October 2023.

"By focusing on long-term athlete development and utilising state-of-the-art technology, we can ensure our athletes are skilled, resilient, and ready to compete at the highest levels," said Ghosal.

Kamal, a Khel Ratna awardee and a 10-time senior national champion, said the collaboration will ensure a systematic approach to grassroots development and allow more easy adoption of innovative training methods, which is the need of the hour.

Sports-focused technology platform Khelomore, co-founded by former cricketer Jatin Paranjape, also recently raised $2 million funding led by Rajdip Gupta of Clear Bridge Ventures and Ashwin Damera, the co-founder of Eruditus.

In May, sports tech firm Stupa Sports Analytics raised Rs 28 crore funding from Centre Court Capital and PeerCapital.