Investors turn focus back to offline sports startups

INVESTOR INTEREST IN offline sports startups is showing signs of revival as participation in organised sports rises and business models in the sector mature.

- S SHANTHI

After attracting a modest $ 8 million in funding in 2024, startups operating in the offline sports space raised $14.7 million in 2025,according to data from Tracxn. The sector had peaked earlier in 2023, when funding stood at $73.9 million.Industry executives told FE that the renewed interest reflects a broader shift in how sports is being perceived in the country, from a discretionary pursuit to a structured consumer and education led business."More people now view sports not just as a hobby but as a lifestyle or income stream, fuelling demand across coaching, training, physiotherapy, nutrition and allied services," Arjun Singh, partner and sports industry leader at Grant Thornton Bharat, said. These shifts, he said, have turned sports into a high-growth sector that is drawing institutional capital.