Sports tech company Machaxi raises $1.5 million from Prakash Padukone, Rainmatter, others

Sports tech startup Machaxi, which uses digital infrastructure to offer coaching, has raised $1.5 million in a round led by Zerodha's investment arm Rainmatter, with participation from Prakash Padukone and other investors.

Founded in 2022 by Pratish Raj, Ashish Anand and Tushar Raj, the startup provides training facilities at its centres in Bengaluru, complementing it with artificial intelligence (AI)-backed programmes to help athletes with attention to detail and other strategies to up their game.

With this round of capital, Machaxi will scale its operations beyond Bengaluru into Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai, while also building a nationwide framework for AI-powered badminton coaching, Pratish told ET.


As part of the expansion, Machaxi is also partnering with the Padukone School of Badminton to launch the “Machaxi x Padukone School of Badminton” programme. Under this initiative, over 1,000 coaching centres will be set up across India in the coming four years.

Pratik said a key feature of this partnership is the rollout of an AI-based coaching system to maintain consistency in training. Users can download the Machaxi app, set up their phone with a tripod, and the app will suggest changes to posture, technique and other details, he explained.

"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," he said.

“Machaxi’s tech-driven approach to coaching, combined with a solid on-ground strategy, aligns perfectly with our mission at Rainmatter to back sustainable and impactful ventures," Nithin Kamath, founder of Zerodha and Rainmatter, said in a statement.

The global AI in the sports market was valued at $1.03 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $2.61 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 16.7%, as per a report by MarketsandMarkets.