Centre Court Capital, a sports-focused venture capital fund, has announced the launch of a Rs 350 crore fund in India’s sports and gaming landscape. The fund will back founders bringing innovative tech and pushing the boundaries of the sports and gaming ecosystem—a segment that is fast becoming a significant asset class.
Centre Court Capital has already raised Rs 200 crore from eminent investors and top athletes. Speaking at the launch, Mustafa Ghouse, Founder and General Partner of Centre Court Capital, said, “We have seen a tremendous rise in both public and private investment in sports, which has more than quadrupled since 2020. As a result, we’re seeing an acceleration in the number of start-ups that are building from India for India and the world.”
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Parth Jindal, MD of JSW Cement Ltd., JSW Paints Pvt. Ltd., and Founder of JSW Sports, said, “Over the last decade, we have backed, invested, and developed sport in India in a big way, and our commitment stems from our belief in the potential of sports in India. We’ve also been tracking the growth of the eSports and gaming sectors, and we’re excited to see the champions from India emerge.”
Centre Court Capital is a SEBI-registered Category II AIF and is soon launching an offshore feeder fund in GIFT City to raise capital from international investors. The fund has already completed its first two investments in the sports tech space. It will focus on early-stage opportunities, earmarking Rs 8 to 24 crores, while reserving 40–50 percent of the fund for follow-on investments.