Machaxi, a Bengaluru-based sports-tech startup, raised $1.5 million from Rainmatter and Prakash Padukone to expand its AI-powered grassroots coaching model to three more cities. The company will launch 1,000 training centres in collaboration with the Padukone School of Badminton.
Published Date – 11 June 2025, 11:22 AM
(L-R)-Mr. Nithin Kamath, Mr. Ashish Anand, Mr. Tushar Raj, Mr. Prakash Padukone, Mr. Pratish Raj, and Mr. Dilip Kumar.
Hyderabad: Machaxi, a sports-tech company focused on grassroots coaching and digital sports infrastructure, has raised $1.5 million in a round led by Rainmatter, the investment initiative of Zerodha. The round also saw participation from Indian badminton legend Prakash Padukone and existing investors.
The funding will help Machaxi scale its operations beyond Bengaluru into three new cities-Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai—while also building a The company’s AI coaching system is designed not to replace human coaches, but to standardize training quality, assist in performance tracking, and ensure that the coaching model remains scalable.
As part of the expansion, Machaxi is collaborating with the Padukone School of Badminton to launch the ‘Machaxi x Padukone School of Badminton Programme’. This initiative aims to establish 1000 coaching
centres across India within the next four years. A key feature of this partnership is the rollout of an AI-based coaching system that will help maintain consistency in traIning, regardlEss of geography or
availabiLity of expert coaches.
“We always believed in the power of grassroots sports to transform communities. Machaxi’s tech-driven approach to coaching, combined with a solid on-ground strategy, aligns perfectly with our mission at
Rainmatter to back sustainable and impactful ventures,” said Nithin Kamath, Founder of Zerodha & Rainmatter .
For his part, badminton legend Prakash Padukone said he had always believed that the future of Indian badminton lied in structured grassroots development. “Machaxi’s vision to scale coaching while
maintaining quality through AI is forward-thinking and impactful. I am thrilled to be a partner with them in shaping the next generation of champions,” he said.
Pratish Raj, Co-founder, Machaxi, commented, “This partnership is a big step forward in our mission to make quality sports coaching accessible to everyone in India. With the support of Rainmatter and the visionary backing of Mr. Padukone, we’re working toward a future where every aspiring athlete no matter where they come from can train with consistency, purpose, and access to world-class infrastructure. Our AI powered model is built to ensure that potential is discovered and nurtured, not overlooked. We’re proud to be at the forefront of this shift in grassroots sports.”
