Kerala-based sports-tech startup Dartle has secured $100,000 in seed funding led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), as reported by Business Standard. The company plans to deploy the capital towards expanding its go-to-market operations, scaling in the US and adding more artificial intelligence (AI)-driven capabilities to its software platform. Founded by Nihal Pradeep, Swathi Krishnan and Nagaraj R Potti, the startup is backed by accelerator Upekkha and has been recognized by NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore.
Dartle operates a vertical business-to-business (B2B) software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform designed for youth sports and football academies. According to Business Standard, the platform brings several operational functions under one system, including scheduling, player performance analytics and parent engagement. The company claims its platform can reduce administrative workload by up to 75 per cent while providing data and performance-tracking tools to help academies monitor individual player development and improve athlete retention.
The startup currently works with 14 academies across India, the Middle East, Nepal and the US, with its international expansion increasingly focused on the American market. As reported by Business Standard, Dartle is running eight paid pilots in the US and has secured a $60,000 sponsorship deal with MLS NEXT. The company's average contract value has doubled from $15,000 to $33,000, indicating an increase in the value of contracts as it expands its product offering and customer base.
The new funding supports Dartle's ambitious expansion plans, with the company targeting more than 100 sports academies globally over the next year and aiming for annual recurring revenue (ARR) of nearly $1 million. According to Business Standard, AI will form a key part of this expansion, with Dartle planning to deepen AI integrations within its platform to offer academies more data-led tools for managing athletes and operations. The startup's immediate focus is on converting US pilots into wider adoption while expanding its footprint across international youth sports markets.
