KIBI Sports, a promising sports startup founded by former national-level athlete Sagar Rai, has successfully secured $100,000 in its latest funding round. This round was led by a group of prominent angel investors, including Saurabh Aggarwal, Arpit Bhardwaj, Vartika Joshi, Suryansh Jain, Pranjal Bansal, Amit Kumar Sahu, Pratibha Rani, and Sushila. This fresh infusion of capital builds on a previous investment of $129,000 and will play a critical role in advancing the startup’s mission to support athletes and institutions with better opportunities and a more robust platform for growth.
The recent funding will empower KIBI Sports to strengthen its technological infrastructure, expand operations, and broaden its reach to athletes, institutions, and brands. Sagar Rai’s passion for sports and his direct involvement in multiple sports disciplines have driven him to establish KIBI Sports as a solution to the numerous challenges faced by athletes, especially in regions where financial support and professional opportunities are scarce. Rai’s firsthand experience as an athlete across five different sports has provided him with deep insights into the struggles of aspiring sportspeople, motivating the creation of a platform that aims to bridge these gaps and build a sustainable sports ecosystem.
KIBI Sports offers a holistic platform with three primary revenue-generating channels designed to empower athletes, institutions, and brands. The first channel is a digital marketplace for sports equipment and merchandise, offering a centralized location for purchasing quality sports goods. The second channel functions as a sponsorship hub, facilitating partnerships between athletes and institutions with brands. This sponsorship matching aims to provide necessary financial backing to athletes, enabling them to focus on training and competitions. Finally, KIBI Sports also offers a streamlined system for sports event registration and booking, which simplifies the process for both organizers and participants.
One of the key aspects of KIBI Sports’ mission is its focus on Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, where access to professional sports infrastructure and opportunities is often limited. By concentrating its efforts on these underserved areas, KIBI Sports aims to create a more equitable playing field for emerging talent. In addition, the startup is committed to promoting underrepresented sports, ensuring that athletes from various disciplines receive the support they need to excel and compete on larger stages.
Currently, KIBI Sports boasts a growing community of over 20,000 athletes and 800 sports institutions, with multiple sponsorship deals already in place. This rapid growth reflects the increasing demand for a platform that can connect athletes, institutions, and brands in a meaningful and impactful way. The success of KIBI Sports’ model is indicative of the untapped potential in the Indian sports ecosystem and the need for greater professional support for athletes.
Looking forward, KIBI Sports has ambitious plans to continue expanding its offerings and increasing its presence across the country. With the new funding, the startup is poised to scale its operations and reach a wider audience, enabling more athletes to benefit from the opportunities it provides. By connecting athletes with sponsors, facilitating the purchase of equipment, and streamlining event registration, KIBI Sports aims to create a more efficient and sustainable sports ecosystem, one that empowers athletes to reach their full potential.
In conclusion, the fresh funding secured by KIBI Sports marks an important step forward in its mission to revolutionize the sports sector in India. With its focus on underrepresented sports, emerging talent, and strengthening the connections between athletes, institutions, and brands, KIBI Sports is set to become a key player in transforming the sports landscape. As it continues to expand and innovate, KIBI Sports’ platform is poised to make a lasting impact on the way sports are managed and supported in India.
