Team Startupcity

·  Machaxi raises $1.5M led by Zerodha’s Rainmatter, with backing from Prakash Padukone.

·  AI-powered coaching to be scaled across 1,000+ centres in India via Padukone partnership.

·  Expansion planned to Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai to boost grassroots sports training.

Machaxi, a startup sportstech company that builds technology to transform grassroots sports coaching, has raised $1.5 million in a new round of funding. The round was led by Zerodha's Rainmatter, and joined by Indian badminton great Prakash Padukone and existing investors.

The funding will be used to scale Machaxi’s operations beyond Bengaluru into Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai, and to develop a nationwide framework for AI-based badminton coaching. This digital system is designed to deliver consistent training quality, regardless of coach availability or location.

Founded in 2022, Machaxi is also joining hands with the Padukone School of Badminton to launch the “Machaxi x Padukone School of Badminton” initiative, which aims to establish over 1,000 coaching centres across India in the next four years.

Nithin Kamath, Founder of Zerodha and Rainmatter, said, “Machaxi’s blend of grassroots engagement and tech-led coaching aligns with Rainmatter’s vision of supporting sustainable, community-centric ventures.”

Supporting the startup: Padukone said, "Structured grassroots development is the way forward for Indian badminton. The vision of maintaining training quality with AI is a game-changer."

Co-founder Pratish Raj added, "This funding and collaboration make our mission to democratize access to high-quality sports coaching in India all the more authentic. Our AI-driven platform provides each aspiring athlete with an equal chance at success."

As per MarketsandMarkets, the worldwide AI in Sports market was worth $1.03 billion in 2024 and is estimated to reach $2.61 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.7%.