KhiladiPro (KPro), an AI-powered sports tech platform transforming how India discovers and nurtures young athletic talent, has raised approximately $1 million in its latest funding round. The investment was led by Shastra VC, an early-stage fund focused on deep-tech and AI startups and MGA Ventures, known for backing early-stage ventures with a differentiated proposition.
The capital will be used to accelerate the development of the company’s proprietary AI models, expand its reach in domestic markets, and enhance support systems for young athletes across the country.
KPro also saw participation from prominent family offices and angel investors, including M Pallonji, Jeena and Co., Ayaz Billawala, Nimesh Kampani and the former CFO of Kotak Bank Jaimin Bhat, who bring strategic expertise and networks to support the company’s growth.
Headquartered in Bengaluru, KPro is a Visual AI sports tech platform on a mission to democratize access to athletic talent discovery and development in India. Designed for scale, the company enables mobile-based, standardized sports assessments that deliver expert-level feedback to young athletes across schools and academies. Its pioneering approach blends technology and inclusivity, offering affordable and data-driven insights into children’s sports abilities. KPro has successfully launched the world’s first Sports & Fitness Olympiad, engaging thousands of students nationwide and setting a new benchmark in grassroots sports engagement.
Commenting on the milestone, Utkarsh Yadav, Founder & CEO of KPro, said, “This funding validates our mission to make world-class sports science & coaching accessible to every child in India on their smartphones, regardless of geography or background. We’re empowering current and future generations of khiladis to chase their sporting dreams. Our Visual AI platform bridges a critical gap in youth sports by delivering standardized, scalable, and engaging assessments, just on a mobile phone. From evaluating athletic potential to providing personalized video reports and national benchmarks, we make fitness and youth sports fun, competitive, and deeply inclusive.”
Explaining how the platform is transforming youth sports, he added, “We’re not just building technology—we’re creating the social graph of active young athletes through a culture focused on purpose, innovation, user value, and a drive to shape India’s Olympic future. Recognized for our innovation in youth fitness, we’re leading a nationwide movement aligned with India’s Khelo India program and its vision for the 2036 Olympic Games.”
One of the participating investors, Jay Desai, Fund Manager at MGA Ventures, noted, “KhiladiPro represents the rare confluence of deep-tech innovation and social impact. The platform’s ability to democratize sports assessments and empower millions of children with data-driven insights makes it one of the most exciting early-stage ventures in India’s sports-tech space.”
KPro’s flagship products—Kpro SAT and the Khiladi Ability Index (KAI)—is India’s first AI-powered benchmark for youth fitness and movement intelligence. Grounded in global frameworks like Fundamental Motor Skills (FMS) and Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD), KAI enables early identification of athletic potential and supports personalized growth trajectories for children.
“At KPro, technology is at the heart of everything we do. Our visual AI makes organizing and running Sports & Fitness assessments smoother, highly accurate, and more efficient. With India’s sports technology market projected to reach USD 1,479.2 million by 2033, KPro is well-positioned to align with this emerging trend, strengthening its presence in the evolving sports technology landscape,” said Utkarsh Yadav.
The company plans to expand internationally, with Australia and the UAE identified as key markets. The ongoing round may include additional strategic investors, and KPro also expects to grow its team across AI/tech development, product, and partnerships.
With a target of 200,000 assessments in 2025, KPro’s commitment to inclusion is reflected in its unique 6-Pincode Marketing model, focusing on outreach in underserved regions, including India’s tier 3 and 4 towns.
About The Author
