Kerala-based sports-tech startup Dartle has raised $100,000 in a seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures, fueling its US expansion and AI-driven youth sports platform.
Kerala-based sports tech startup Dartle has raised $100,000 in a seed funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV). The proceeds will go toward expanding the company’s go-to-market strategy, accelerating its presence in the US market, strengthening AI integrations, and deepening partner engagement. Founded by Nihal Pradeep, Swathi Krishnan, and Nagaraj R Potti, the startup is backed by accelerator Upekkha and has also been recognized by NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore.
What Dartle’s Platform Actually Does
Dartle operates a vertical B2B SaaS platform built specifically for youth sports and football academies, giving them a single integrated system to manage day-to-day operations. The platform handles scheduling, player analytics, and parent engagement, replacing the fragmented mix of spreadsheets, messaging apps and manual processes many academies rely on.
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According to Dartle, the system reduces administrative workload by up to 75%, freeing academy staff to focus more on coaching and athlete development. The platform also leans on data-driven engagement and performance-tracking tools to help academies improve athlete retention, giving coaches and administrators visibility into how individual players are progressing over time rather than relying on informal observation alone.
Traction and Growth Plans
Dartle currently serves 14 academies across India, the Middle East, Nepal, and the US, while running eight paid pilots in the American market. The company recently secured a $60,000 MLS Next sponsorship and says it has doubled its average contract value from $15,000 to $33,000.
Looking ahead, Dartle aims to onboard more than 100 sports academies globally over the next year, targeting annual recurring revenue of nearly $1 million – a scale-up that will lean heavily on the deeper AI integrations this funding round is meant to support, as the company looks to differentiate its platform in the increasingly competitive youth sports management software space.
