StepOut, the Bengaluru-based sports-tech disruptor, has raised $1.5 million (approx. ₹12.5 crore) in a Pre-Series A funding round. The investment was led by Rainmatter by Zerodha, which previously led the startup’s seed round in late 2024. The round also saw strategic participation from SucSEED Innovation Fund and Misfits Capital.
The fresh capital will be used to fuel international expansion, deepen R&D in computer vision and AI, and scale product capabilities. While currently dominant in football, StepOut plans to eventually expand its AI-intelligence layer to amateur sports and other global disciplines.
Democratizing Elite Analytics: From Ajax to Grassroots
Founded by Jeet Karmakar and Sayak Ghosh, StepOut is solving a massive data gap in football. Historically, advanced performance metrics like xG (Expected Goals), xA (Expected Assists), and PPDA (Passes Per Defensive Action) were reserved for the world’s richest clubs. StepOut’s AI-powered platform turns simple match video into a professional-grade intelligence dashboard, saving coaches up to 80% of manual analysis time.
Since its last funding, StepOut’s growth has been record-breaking:
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Global Footprint: Serves 120 clubs and federations across 23 countries.
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Massive Data Scale: Analyzed over 25,000 matches and tracked 150,000 players.
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Financial Momentum: Reported 3x year-on-year revenue growth with a stellar 90% customer renewal rate.
Trusted by Global Giants
StepOut is one of the few Indian deep-tech startups to successfully export technology to the heart of European football. The platform is used by elite organizations including:
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International Powerhouses: AFC Ajax (Eredivisie) and Rayo Vallecano (La Liga).
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Domestic Leaders: Bengaluru FC and the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
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Strategic Pilots: The company is currently running high-level pilots with Real Madrid, Chelsea, Fulham, and Espanyol.
The “FIFA in Real Life” Experience
Beyond elite scouting, StepOut is revolutionizing youth development through its “Player Impact Scores.” The platform gamifies the experience for young athletes, allowing them to track their progress through digital badges and leaderboards—essentially turning their real-world performance into a “live FIFA card” experience.
“Our mission is to assist players on their journey from grassroots to the pinnacle of their careers. With Rainmatter’s continued support, we are moving closer to making data-driven coaching the standard, not the exception, in Indian and global sports,” said Sayak Ghosh, Co-founder & CEO.
By: Vanshika Tayal
