Kerala-based sports-tech startup Dartle has raised $100,000 in seed funding led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), as it looks to turn growing demand for digital tools in youth sports into a larger international business. 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.
The funding comes as Dartle seeks to build on its early traction across international markets, with the US emerging as a key growth market. The startup, founded by Nihal Pradeep, Swathi Krishnan and Nagaraj R Potti, is backed by accelerator Upekkha and has also been recognised by NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore. Its focus is on building a recurring-revenue software business around the operational and performance-management needs of youth sports and football academies.
Building an operating system for sports academies
Dartle operates a vertical business-to-business (B2B) software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform designed for youth sports and football academies. The platform brings several operational functions under one system, including scheduling, player performance analytics and parent engagement.
The startup is targeting a market where academies often rely on a combination of spreadsheets, messaging applications and manual processes to manage their operations. By bringing these functions onto a single platform, Dartle aims to reduce administrative work while giving coaches and academy administrators greater visibility into player development.
According to the company, its platform can reduce administrative workload by up to 75 per cent. Its data and performance-tracking tools are also designed to help academies monitor individual player development and improve athlete retention.
US market emerges as key growth driver
Dartle currently works with 14 academies across India, the Middle East, Nepal and the US. Its international expansion is increasingly centred on the American market, where the company is running eight paid pilots.
Targeting 100 academies and $1 million ARR
The new funding comes as Dartle looks to scale its customer base and increase recurring revenue. The company plans to onboard more than 100 sports academies globally over the next year and is targeting annual recurring revenue (ARR) of nearly $1 million.
AI will form a key part of that expansion. Dartle plans to deepen AI integrations within its platform as it seeks to offer academies more data-led tools for managing athletes and operations.
For the startup, the immediate focus is on converting its US pilots into wider adoption while expanding its footprint across international youth sports markets. Its growth strategy reflects a broader shift in sports towards technology platforms that combine operational management with player data and engagement tools.
