KL Rahul Startup Investment Portfolio: Every Company He Has Backed

Kannur Lokesh Rahul, widely known as KL Rahul, is one of India’s most consistent international cricketers across all formats. Born on April 18, 1992, in Mangaluru, Karnataka, Rahul made his Test debut in 2014 and has since established himself as one of India’s premier top-order batters. He captains Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League.

Outside cricket, Rahul has steadily built a startup investment portfolio that spans fitness, health tech, fintech, men’s lifestyle, AI, and sports entrepreneurship. His estimated net worth as of 2025 is ₹101 crore, built on a combination of cricket contracts, endorsements, and investments. His journey in the startup ecosystem started in 2022 through Metaman, where he is listed as co-founder. As an angel investor, his portfolio spans companies in India and the United Kingdom, with investments primarily in retail, consumer, and health sectors.

In most of his investments, Rahul also takes on a brand ambassador role giving him a dual commercial relationship with the brand beyond capital. Financial terms across nearly all deals remain undisclosed, which is consistent with angel-stage investing by sports personalities in India.

1. Cult.fit

Bengaluru-based health and fitness startup Cult.fit roped in Rahul as a brand ambassador in 2017 to promote CULT, its chain of premium fitness centres. Rahul is also an investor in CULT.

Cult.fit was co-founded by Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori in 2016. Mukesh Bansal previously co-founded Myntra, which was acquired by Flipkart in 2014. After Myntra, he joined Flipkart as head of commerce before leaving to start Cult.fit. Ankit Nagori was the Chief Business Officer at Flipkart before co-founding the company.

Cult.fit has raised over $400 million in total funding from investors including Accel, Tiger Global, Temasek, Tata Digital, and Piramal Group. The company operates 500+ fitness centres across India and runs Cultsport, its activewear division, alongside CultPass, a subscription model for multi-gym access. The platform also offers digital fitness classes, sports coaching, and mental wellness services through its app.

KL Rahul’s investment amount remains undisclosed. He serves as a brand ambassador promoting Cult.fit’s premium fitness centres.

Also Read: 12 Indian Athleisure & Activewear Brands Growing Fast in 2026

2. Gully Live Fast

In 2019, Rahul co-founded and invested in Gully Live Fast, an Indian streetwear brand. Indian streetwear brand Gully roped in Rahul as a brand ambassador. Rahul, along with retail partner ZEKO Online Pvt Ltd and Cornerstone Sport, launched the brand Gully Live Fast and also invested in the brand.

Gully Live Fast targets Indian youth streetwear culture, a segment that has grown rapidly on the back of hip-hop, sneaker, and urban fashion trends popularised through platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and OTT content. The brand sells apparel, accessories, and limited-edition drops. It operates through e-commerce channels and select offline retail partnerships. Investment amount remains undisclosed.

3. Fundfina

In November 2021, Rahul invested in Fundfina, a financial technology company focused on providing financial services to underserved markets.

Fundfina is an MSME-focused lending platform that provides working capital, term loans, and financial tools to small businesses that lack access to formal credit from traditional banks. The platform uses alternative data and digital underwriting to assess creditworthiness — targeting the 63 million MSMEs in India that remain underserved by traditional financial institutions.

Fundfina is a fintech venture working to empower small businesses by offering easy access to capital and financial tools. The company has raised early-stage funding from angel investors. KL Rahul’s investment amount and stake details remain undisclosed.

4. Metaman

Metaman was founded in early 2022 by Harsh Maskara and Anil Shetty as a men’s jewellery brand. The brand acquired Drip Project in 2023, reimagining its premium perfume range. KL Rahul has been an investor since the brand’s early stages and increased his investment for the perfume line launched on August 30, 2024. Rahul also serves as brand ambassador.

Metaman targets Gen Z men with two primary product lines — affordable premium jewellery and a fragrance range. The Drip Project acquisition in 2023 allowed Metaman to enter the premium perfume market under a repositioned brand identity. The brand sells through its own D2C website and select multi-brand retail outlets.

On his investment, KL Rahul stated that areas of health, wellness, sports, and fashion have always interested him. Rahul invested an undisclosed amount at the early stage and returned with a follow-on investment ahead of the fragrance line launch in August 2024. He is also listed as a co-founder of the company on Tracxn. Financial terms across both investment rounds remain undisclosed.

5. 4CAST

In April 2023, Rahul co-founded 4CAST — a UK-based athlete entrepreneurial collective — alongside English international cricketers Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, and Stuart Broad.

4CAST provides a corporate outlet for sportspersons to explore business opportunities. This strategic partnership with Rahul is aimed at helping 4CAST get exposure in the Indian market. The collective functions as an athlete-led investment group that backs startups collectively, combining the brand equity, networks, and capital of international cricketers to provide portfolio companies with marketing reach, athlete credibility, and access to global sports audiences.

4CAST has backed at least one confirmed portfolio company — The Medical Travel Company — in a $4.5 million seed round in October 2025 (covered separately below). Rahul serves as co-founder and investor. Financial terms of his individual stake in 4CAST remain undisclosed.

6. HyugaLife

In June 2023, Rahul participated in a $5 million seed funding round for HyugaLife, a health technology startup.

HyugaLife is a health and wellness e-commerce platform operated by Pratech Brands. The platform sells health supplements, sports nutrition products, vitamins, and wellness essentials curated for fitness-conscious consumers. It is backed by Sequoia Capital (Peak XV Partners) as its lead institutional investor — a significant validator for an early-stage health commerce brand. Katrina Kaif is another celebrity investor who has funded this brand.

Rahul also serves as brand ambassador for HyugaLife, promoting products including supplements and sports nutrition. His dual role as investor and brand ambassador is consistent with his broader portfolio approach — taking active commercial stakes in brands he personally endorses. Investment amount within the $5 million round is undisclosed.

Also Read: HyugaLife Raises Rs 100 Crore in Series A Led by IvyCap Ventures

7. Boldfit

KL Rahul invested in Bengaluru-based D2C fitness brand Boldfit in July–August 2024 and simultaneously became its brand ambassador.

Boldfit was founded in 2018 by Pallav Bihani. The brand started as a digital-first fitness accessories company and has expanded into activewear, athletic footwear, gym equipment, yoga accessories, and nutritional supplements. Boldfit generated revenue of ₹73 crore in FY24 and is planning to cross ₹500 crore in FY26, as per the founder.

Boldfit has raised a total of $21.7 million in funding across 4 rounds. Its lead institutional investor is Bessemer Venture Partners, one of the world’s most respected venture capital firms with a long track record of backing consumer brands globally. The most recent round a Series A was closed in February 2026 with participation from 7 investors.

8. Flam

Rahul invested in Flam, an AI-driven company developing a Mixed Reality product to enhance fan-celebrity interactions, in August 2024. The investment amount and stake details remain undisclosed.

Flam is a technology startup building mixed reality experiences that allow fans to engage with celebrities, athletes, and brands through immersive, interactive digital content. The product is positioned at the intersection of AI, spatial computing, and the creator economy, a segment attracting growing investor interest in India as smartphone penetration and content consumption continue to scale.

Flam’s mixed reality technology has direct applications in sports marketing, fan engagement, and branded entertainment categories where KL Rahul’s profile as a cricketer gives him both personal relevance and commercial alignment as an investor.

9. XYXX

KL Rahul holds an investment in XYXX.

XYXX is a Bengaluru-based men’s innerwear and athleisure brand founded in 2017 by Piyush Maheshwari and Yogesh Kabra. The brand sells micro modal innerwear, lounge wear, and casual athleisure for men through its own D2C website, Myntra, Amazon, Flipkart, and Ajio. XYXX has raised over $10 million in total funding from investors including Sauce.vc and other institutional investors.

The brand has positioned itself in the premium men’s basics segment targeting urban, millennial, and Gen Z men who prioritise fabric quality and comfort at mid-premium price points. It competes in a category that has seen significant D2C growth in India over the past four years, with brands like Bummer, Knitroot, and Almo also operating in the same space. Investment amount and stake details remain undisclosed.

10. Players Fund

KL Rahul has backed Players Fund, a fund and platform operating at the intersection of sports, finance, and entrepreneurship. Players Fund focuses on supporting athletes and sports-adjacent businesses with capital, mentorship, and business development resources.

The platform addresses a structural gap in the Indian sports ecosystem, professional athletes often lack access to financial planning, investment guidance, and post-career business infrastructure. By backing Players Fund, Rahul is investing in an organisation whose stated mission directly aligns with the challenges he and his peers navigate as professional cricketers managing long-term financial planning during and after active careers. Investment amount remains undisclosed.

11. The Medical Travel Company

In October 2025, KL Rahul along with Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer through their 4CAST collective participated in a $4.5 million seed funding round for The Medical Travel Company.

The Medical Travel Company was co-founded by Ankit Mehrotra and Sahil Jain, the founders of Dineout — the restaurant discovery and table reservation platform that was acquired by Zomato. The seed round was led by Nexus Venture Partners, with Kriscore Capital also participating.

The Medical Travel Company has developed what it describes as the world’s first full-stack platform for medical tourism, targeting UK patients waiting for elective care and connecting them with high-quality, affordable healthcare providers in India. The platform covers end-to-end patient support — from provider discovery and booking to travel logistics and post-care follow-up.

KL Rahul said: “It is fantastic to announce this investment between 4CAST and The Medical Travel Company. Having grown up in India, I’ve witnessed the country’s development across many industries over the years. We are hugely excited about working alongside Ankit, Sahil and their team to help create new pathways for patients.”

This is the only investment in KL Rahul’s portfolio with a publicly confirmed deal size — $4.5 million at seed stage, with the 4CAST collective participating alongside Nexus Venture Partners.

Portfolio Summary

KL Rahul has backed at least 11 companies across 6 sectors since 2017. His portfolio covers fitness and activewear (Cult.fit, Boldfit, XYXX), health and wellness (HyugaLife, The Medical Travel Company), men’s lifestyle and fashion (Metaman, Gully Live Fast), fintech (Fundfina, Players Fund), AI and technology (Flam), and sports entrepreneurship (4CAST).

In the majority of these investments, Rahul also serves as brand ambassador — giving him an active commercial stake beyond capital. His co-founding role in Metaman and 4CAST indicates a more hands-on involvement in select companies compared to standard angel investing.

The only publicly confirmed deal size in his portfolio is The Medical Travel Company’s $4.5 million seed round. All other investment amounts remain undisclosed.