Bangalore: Tech Entrepreneur, Startup Founders and Venture Capitalist are making their investment horizons wider by getting bets in sports teams. This strategic diversification displays their understanding of the sports league as community development, brand installation and effective channels for asset construction.Extension beyond established sports like cricket and football indicates a change in India’s sports scenario, with business leaders identifying unused capacity in the Sports League.
Excel partner Prashant Prakash along with Nikhil Kamath of Zeroda and Ankit Nagori acquired the Bangalore Baazers franchise in the Global Activate Premier League (GEPL), a structured ESPOLS League organized by Jetsinthesis. Separately, Swiggy, in association with cricketer Rishabh Pant, has co-owners of the Mumbai pickle in the newly launched World Pickle League. Meanwhile, PhonePe founders Sameer Anigam and Rahul Chari first bought the Mumbai meteor team in the Prime Volleyball League.
Unlike the celebrity -owned model dominating the traditional leagues, these founders and investors are bringing an entrepreneur lens in the game. Jetsinthesis founder and CEO told TOI, “We deliberately deployed GEPL to attract the builders-founders and VCs who understand zero-to-one development, which can score the ecosystem, not only invest in them.” For light, supporting a team in GEPL was like evaluating a startup.“Two things were standing for us,” he said. “First, the right to win – what the underlying technology creates a permanent gap. Second, is it a bridge product for the next decade. In India’s General Z landscape, it has that ability. ,
Krrish Gopalakrishnan, co-founder of Infosys, early supporters of Jetsinthesis, believe that the intersection of sports and technology is a natural development. “We need to tell how the physical and digital world comes together,” he said. “Leagues such as GEPL are about the creation of new economic activities – making players, owners, leagues, and sponsors in ways that were not present before.”
Navni said that the owners of the franchise like Prakash and Kamath are not just financial backers. “They are partners who help shape the league,” he said. “They understand the value of early investing, building brands, nurturing communities and thinking globally.” Unlike traditional corporate investors, many of these founder bring a long -term horizon for operating expertise, agility and team ownership.“In large commercial homes, a team can be one of many investments,” Navani said. “Focus, partnership and strategic thinking are different with founder-owners.”
If successful, this emerging model can build a sports franchise in India. Future leagues – e -Sports, Volleyball and Pickle crosses – can be rapidly seeded by a startup -style builders instead of groups or celebrities.
