Machaxi Raises $1.5M to Scale AI-Powered Grassroots Sports Coaching in India

Machaxi, a sportstech startup focused on grassroots sports coaching and digital infrastructure, has raised $1.5 million in funding led by Rainmatter by Zerodha, with participation from badminton icon Prakash Padukone and existing investors.

Founded in 2022 by Pratish Raj, Tushar Raj, and Ashish Anand, Machaxi is building a tech-enabled coaching platform that ensures consistent, high-quality training for aspiring athletes — starting with badminton, India’s fastest-growing grassroots sport.

The fresh capital will help:

Expand operations from Bengaluru to Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai

Build a nationwide AI-driven badminton coaching system

Scale Machaxi x Padukone School of Badminton to 1,000+ centers over 4 years

Launch performance-tracking tools to support coaches at scale

“India’s future sports stars need structure, quality, and access from day one,” said Prakash Padukone, who’s backing Machaxi to shape the next generation of athletes.

“We’re proud to support this mission to democratize grassroots coaching with AI and purpose,” added Nithin Kamath, Founder of Rainmatter & Zerodha.

Machaxi’s AI-powered platform doesn’t replace coaches — it augments them, helping spot, track, and nurture talent in every corner of India, while retaining the human connection vital to sports development.

...