Sports-tech startup Machaxi, based in Bengaluru, has raised $1.5 million in a round led by Rainmatter, the investment arm of Zerodha, with participation from Prakash Padukone and existing investors.
The funding will fuel Machaxi’s expansion into Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai, and accelerate its AI-driven coaching platform to standardize badminton training across India.
Founded in 2022 by Pratish Raj, Tushar Raj, and Ashish Anand, Machaxi offers consistent, high-quality training through digital infrastructure and grassroots coaching. It currently operates in Bengaluru and caters to both beginners and aspiring pros.
In partnership with the Padukone School of Badminton, Machaxi will launch the “Machaxi x Padukone School of Badminton” program, aiming to establish 1,000+ coaching centres in four years.
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The AI system supports performance tracking, standardization, and scalability—designed to enhance, not replace, human coaching.
Machaxi combines AI tools with on-ground training to tackle coaching inconsistency and limited access. The global AI in Sports market—valued at $1.03 billion in 2024 and projected to hit $2.61 billion by 2030—offers strong growth potential for the startup.
