Gurugram: Flow Sports Life, Badminton and Football Academy has raised an undisclosed amount in a seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The funds will be utilized for team expansion, operations and marketing, technology development, and infrastructure improvements.
Flow Sports Life, guided by a passionate founding team, aims to transform one million children into lifelong athletes and reshape India’s sports culture through advanced coaching in Badminton and Football. Their vision includes producing at least four Olympians by 2032, supported by technical innovations such as AI-powered match analytics, leaderboards for athlete ranking and engagement, comprehensive training analytics, and efficient facility management through a dedicated app. It is currently operating with 3 centres across Delhi-NCR and has raised funds for expansion and athlete-focused technology development.
- Flow aims to transform one million children into lifelong athletes, setting them apart in the sports industry.
- The funds will be utilized for team expansion, operations and marketing, technology development, and infrastructure improvements.
- Inflection Point Ventures (IPV) has so far invested over INR 600 Cr across 190+ deals.
Flow Sports Life, co-founded by Amit Mongia and Sumit Garg, is jointly led by both co-founders. Amit Mongia, with a background in economics and management, has had a successful career in sales and distribution and rose to Director of sales at Avon India. On the other hand, Sumit Garg is an SRCC graduate and brings his notable athletic achievements to the table, having been a State Champion in Badminton Under-15 and Under-18 categories in Haryana and representing the state of Haryana in India Nationals for Badminton from 1992 to 1994.
Flow Sports Life’s growth has been remarkable, with a significant expansion in operations. In FY22, they focused on Badminton, operating one center with 150 active athletes. However, in FY23, they have expanded to two sports, Badminton and Football, with three centers and 325 active athletes, showcasing their commitment to scaling their sports coaching programs.
Madhukar Bhardwaj, Sr. Vice President, Inflection Point Ventures, says, “Sports has always been an integral part of India. Our country has produced some of the finest badminton players in recent years, like PV Sindhu, Sania Nehwal, Srikanth K idambi etc. and holds a great potential to have a larger number of Olympians across genres, considering India has a large youth population. To accomplish this goal, Flow Sports Life is actively extending its support to the athletes with the best tech-enabled coaching facility. This academy is on a mission to inculcate sports among children and produce at least 4 Olympians in the coming years. IPV aims to extend their strategic guidance and help Flow in its aim to make sports accessible to as many kids as possible.”
Flow Sports Life is on a winning streak this year, with achievements including its trained players winning 28 medals in 30 Events at the Gurugram District Tournament and 4 Finalists in 8 Events in Haryana State U-11/U-13. They are nurturing top talent, with more than 10 players representing their state in the National Tournament and 5 playing international tournaments in the last year. Notably, the startup has achieved a remarkable 150% YoY revenue growth in FY23 over FY22 and boasts one of Gurgaon’s highest-grossing pay-and-play facilities.
Amit Mongia, CEO of Flow Sports Life, says, “We’re excited to be at the forefront of a new era of sports in India. We believe that everyone deserves access to high-quality sports coaching, regardless of their background or location. That’s why we’re using Technology and SOPs to create a scalable and sustainable system. We want to make it possible for every child in Bharat to have the opportunity to play sports, play well and experience the joy of sports. We want to create a positive and supportive environment where all athletes feel valued and respected. Flow is committed to helping all athletes reach their full potential. If you are looking for a sports coaching academy that is focused on individual attention, positive reinforcement, fun and learning, and achievement for all, this is the right place for you”.
Amit further adds, “IPV has spearheaded investment in sports and has seen positive exits in the last couple of years. IPV’s eye for detail, rigour in due diligence and offering innovative and effective solutions have already started helping us steer towards the right direction and steer fast. Their addition will surely help us reach our ambition of being amongst the top-notch sports companies in the country.”
The global sports industry is on a trajectory of substantial growth, with a market value of $388.3 billion in 2020 and an expected surge to $599.9 billion by 2025, driven by a 3.4% CAGR since 2015. This market is characterized by two primary segments: spectator sports, accounting for 28% and participatory sports, occupying 72%. Geographically, North America leads the way, representing 35.0% of the total global sports market in 2020. In India, the sports market, worth $27 billion in 2020, is poised for remarkable expansion, projected to reach $100 billion by 2027, boasting an impressive CAGR of 21%.
About Flow Sports Life:
Flow Sports Life offers an ambitious, world-class sports coaching program platform for Badminton and Football for Athletes at all levels, including International/National Level Athletes for Badminton. With initiatives such as Parent Coach Interaction, Tournament Support, Mentorship, Leaderboard, and Fitness Assessments in place, it is steadfast in its vision of having 4 Olympians by 2032 and transforming 1 million children into ‘Athletes for Life’.
About Inflection Point Ventures & Physis Capital:
Inflection Point Ventures (IPV) is an angel investing platform with over 8900 CXOs, HNIs, and professionals coming together to invest in startups. The firm supports new-age entrepreneurs by providing them with monetary & experiential capital and connecting them with a diverse group of investors and industry professionals for business growth, mentorship and guidance. In 2023, IPV also announced the launch of a $50 million CAT 2 AIF Physis Capital to invest in pre-Series A to Series B growth-stage startups.
