In India, more and more D2C companies are moving beyond just selling products and are now focusing on creating experiences. Gamepoint, a sports-tech startup in Hyderabad, is a great example. They just got about ₹7 crore in a pre-Series A funding round, which is a big step for them. The funding was co-led by Raj P Narayanam (founder of Zaggle) and Aditya Vuchi, with others like Praveen Raju also participating.
Gamepoint plans to use this new money to grow its network of professionally run sports centers and improve its tech, operations, and how they do things on the ground. This funding puts Gamepoint in the spotlight as investors show more interest in sports and platforms that use tech and cater to consumers.
Aditya Reddy and Siddharth Reddy started Gamepoint to create a modern sports system that makes it easy for people of all ages to play and learn sports. They run local sports centers that offer coaching , memberships, options for adults to play, and management solutions for companies.
Now, D2C in India is becoming more about community, lifestyle, and getting people involved. Gamepoint combines physical locations with tech to deliver sports experiences. Their centers have fields, coaching , stores, and facilities, positioning Gamepoint as a option in the D2C world in India.
Gamepoint already has sports centers in Hyderabad and Warangal, where people can play badminton, basketball, pickleball, squash, football, cricket, table tennis, and swimming. They use a mix of their own and potentially franchised centers, which helps them grow without spending too much money.
So far, Gamepoint says they’ve trained over 12,000 students, had more than 3 lakh people actively playing sports, and organized over 700 sports events.
Gamepoint’s plans are big. They want to have over 300 centers in cities over the next five years, with the goal of getting 1 crore Indians to play sports.
There are other companies in this market, like Premier Badminton Coaching Academy, Machaxi, KheloMore, and Huddl. But Gamepoint’s focus on multiple sports, local neighborhoods, and tech gives them a way to grow in the D2C world.
Gamepoint’s funding shows a change in what investors are looking for: models that create repeat customers, build community, and encourage a long-term lifestyle. With new funding and a plan, Gamepoint is trying to become a player in India’s sports and wellness scene.
