Fundraise

Sports-tech platform Dartle raises $100K seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures

What's the deal? Dartle, a Kerala-based B2B SaaS platform for youth sports and football academies, has raised $100,000 in a seed round led by Inflection Point VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → (IPV). The company, formally registered as Roninaks Sports Private LimitedDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, plans to use the capital to accelerate its US expansion, add AI features, and onboard more than 100 academies globally over the next 10–12 months.

Dartle replaces fragmented tools with a single platform that connects academies, coaches, parents, and athletes — offering scheduling, live updates, parent engagement, and data-driven athlete profiles that support scouting and talent identification. It claims to cut administrative overhead by 75% and triple athlete retention.

The platform currently powers 14 academies across India, the Middle East, Nepal, and the US, with eight paid pilots active stateside. Its average contract value has doubled from $15,000 to $33,000, and it recently secured a $60,000 MLS Next sponsorship. Dartle aims to grow annual recurring revenue to nearly $1M.

Why now? Globally, more than 50,000 sports academies still rely on outdated, disconnected systems. In the US alone, 3,000 youth soccer academies represent what Dartle estimates is a $45M addressable market. The startup is backed by accelerator UpekkhaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and recognised by NSRCEL IIM Bangalore, giving it credibility as it pushes into the American and European markets.

"Dartle is transforming how youth sports academies operate by replacing fragmented tools with a unified, data-driven platform," said Vinay Bansal, founder and chief executive officer of IPV.

What could go wrong? At $100,000, this is a modest seed round for a company with global ambitions. Scaling across the US and Europe will require significant sales and support investment. Dartle also faces the classic SaaS challenge of convincing cash-strapped academy operators to adopt new software — even if the efficiency gains are real.

The signal: Inflection Point Ventures, classified on Dealroom as an investment fund, has been one of India's more active early-stage backers, and its involvement here underscores growing investor appetite for vertical SaaS plays that digitise traditionally offline industries. Dartle's ability to secure an MLS Next sponsorship and double its average contract value suggests early product-market fit in the US, but converting eight paid pilots into a scalable American footprint on a $100,000 cheque will be the real test.

Read more: Business News This Week

More top stories