Hudle, India’s fast-growing sports community platform, has secured $2.5 million in Series A funding to accelerate its expansion across India’s booming recreational sports ecosystem. The round was led by Sky Impact Capital, with significant participation from Physis Capital and Atrium Venture. Notable angel investors, including 12-time Grand Slam champion Mahesh Bhupathi, renowned sports broadcaster Gaurav Kapur, Shivam Shahi (Co-founder of Blue Tokai), and Umair Mohammed (Founder of Nitro Commerce), also backed the Delhi-based startup.
This funding injection positions Hudle to strengthen its product suite, scale operations, and broaden its reach beyond metros into India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. As a company at the intersection of sports, technology, and community engagement, Hudle plans to build deeper connections between players and venues while enabling a richer playing experience.
Strategic Use of Funds
Hudle will channel the newly raised capital into enhancing core product features. The team has prioritized frictionless booking, better match discovery tools, and comprehensive performance tracking to serve both amateur and semi-professional players.
The platform will also double down on emerging sports, particularly pickleball and padel, which have seen a surge in popularity across urban centers. Hudle’s leadership believes these new-age sports can drive greater community participation, especially among millennials and Gen Z users seeking accessible and social sporting experiences.
In August, Hudle will roll out India’s first player rating system. This proprietary system will track and quantify player skill levels across sports, encouraging healthy competition, peer benchmarking, and player progression. By assigning skill ratings, Hudle aims to create a trusted ecosystem where players can find evenly matched games and organizers can host fair and competitive tournaments.
The company also plans to grow its venue partner network aggressively. Hudle will onboard facilities across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities to support increasing demand for recreational and amateur sports. The goal is to ensure that players can discover and book high-quality sports venues within minutes, regardless of their location.
Rapid Growth and User Traction
Founded by Suhail Narain (CEO), Arjun Singh Verma (COO), and Sonam Taneja (Head of Business Development), Hudle has emerged as a market leader in the tech-enabled sports space. Over the past year, the startup recorded 3.5x growth in gross transaction value (GTV) and 2.5x growth in revenue. These metrics highlight the growing appetite for recreational sports among India’s urban youth.
Hudle now connects 1.5 million players with over 2,000 verified sports venues nationwide. The platform facilitates easy access to sports like badminton, football, box cricket, pickleball, and padel — all in one unified digital experience. Whether a user wants to casually play on weekends or join competitive leagues, Hudle enables the entire journey through its mobile-first platform.
The company’s mission revolves around making sports more accessible, organized, and community-driven. Hudle blends digital convenience with on-ground experiences, allowing players to discover venues, book slots, join tournaments, and track personal performance — all from their smartphones.
Building a Sports Tech Ecosystem
Hudle’s value proposition doesn’t stop with the end-user. The company also offers a tech stack for venue partners, helping them digitize operations, manage bookings, collect payments, and engage with customers. By offering backend automation tools, Hudle improves facility utilization and helps sports venues increase their revenue per square foot.
For venue owners, partnering with Hudle means joining a digital network where thousands of players actively seek sports experiences every day. The startup supports partners with marketing, data insights, and event creation, enabling hyperlocal engagement and long-term player loyalty.
Hudle’s technology-first approach provides a distinct edge in a fragmented market. The company believes that standardizing and simplifying how Indians engage with sports — through both online and offline touchpoints — will help unlock a multi-billion-dollar opportunity.
Rise of Pickleball and Padel in India
Two sports — pickleball and padel — are central to Hudle’s future growth strategy. Both sports offer fast-paced action, social gameplay, and minimal learning curves, making them ideal for both beginners and competitive players.
Pickleball has already taken off in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Hyderabad. It combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, using a small court and paddle. Padel, on the other hand, mixes squash and tennis dynamics, and players can enjoy the sport in pairs within enclosed glass courts.
Hudle has identified these formats as key to engaging newer players, especially in communities with limited access to traditional sports infrastructure. With lower equipment costs, shorter match durations, and strong social elements, both pickleball and padel attract a new demographic of recreational athletes.
By promoting these sports through curated events, coaching programs, and community leagues, Hudle intends to bring them into the mainstream. This move also complements its broader vision of becoming the go-to platform for everything amateur sports in India.
Vision from the Founders
Speaking about the funding round, Hudle’s CEO Suhail Narain emphasized the company’s mission-driven approach:
“We want to build India’s largest sports community, where every individual can play, compete, and grow. This capital will help us scale faster, innovate better, and serve millions of players across the country.”
COO Arjun Singh Verma echoed the sentiment:
“Our growth proves the increasing appetite for sports in India. Players don’t just want to play — they want to belong. Hudle enables that sense of community, backed by intuitive tech and seamless experiences.”
Sonam Taneja, Head of Business Development, added:
“Venue partners are central to our growth. We plan to give them more tools and more players, enabling them to scale as the sports culture in India evolves.”
Backing from Strategic Investors
Hudle’s investor lineup brings more than just capital. Lead investor Sky Impact Capital focuses on impact-driven startups that shape healthier, more engaged communities. Their support underscores the importance of sports in driving physical well-being and social cohesion.
Sports legend Mahesh Bhupathi, a long-time advocate of grassroots sports, believes Hudle can become a transformational player in India’s sporting revolution. Gaurav Kapur, a storyteller and influencer in India’s cricketing world, adds valuable brand credibility and access to media amplification.
Physis Capital and Atrium Venture, both known for investing in consumer-focused startups, bring experience in scaling operations and structuring growth-stage strategies. The founders of Blue Tokai and Nitro Commerce bring complementary experience in building lifestyle brands and tech platforms.
What Lies Ahead
With funding secured and product expansion underway, Hudle now stands at an inflection point. It aims to double its active user base over the next year and onboard an additional 1,000 sports venues by mid-2026.
The company also plans to host nationwide leagues, skill-based rating tournaments, and city championships that bring amateur sports into the spotlight. These events will serve as anchor points for player engagement and community building.
Hudle envisions itself as the default destination for anyone in India who wants to play organized sports, improve performance, and connect with like-minded players. By combining intuitive technology, a robust venue network, and a community-first mindset, the startup intends to redefine the landscape of sports participation in India.
As the Indian fitness and recreational sports market continues to grow, Hudle stands poised to become a market leader — not just by facilitating bookings but by enabling a lifestyle where sport becomes a daily habit for millions.
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