str8bat Raises $3.5 Mn In Series A Funding

A sports technology company str8bat said that it secured USD 3.5 million in Series A funding. The funding round was led by Exfinity Venture Partners, with Shailesh Ghorpade, Founding Managing Partner, Exfinity, taking the board position. Additional participation came from TRTL, Eternal Capital, and the VCats group (including Venture Catalyst and VCgrid), alongside existing investors such as Techstars and SucSEED Indovation Fund.

This funding will enable str8bat to accelerate product development, introduce new product lines, and expand its marketing efforts and geographic footprint. str8bat’s flagship product, a cricket bat wearable device, provides real-time data analytics, is designed to help players enhance their game. 
The company claimed that this innovation has already attracted marquee clients like Rajasthan Royals, Cricket Australia, who partnered with str8bat to start the world’s first smart willow—an impressive testament to their role in revolutionising sports technology and athlete performance. 

The cricket world has long known English and Kashmir willows(Bats), but for the first time in the history of the game, such cutting-edge technology has been embedded into the bat itself by str8bat, allowing the bat to "talk" by delivering real-time performance data. Their year-long partnership with SG has already enabled thousands of players in the country to be proud owners of the smart willow. These partnerships highlight str8bat's rising prominence in the global sports-tech industry, where it continues to revolutionize how players train and compete across the levels.

“We are incredibly proud of what str8bat has achieved, both in India and globally. str8bat, crafted in India and validated by the world’s elite, is built to revolutionise the game on a global stage.,” said Gagan Daga, Co-founder, str8bat. “This investment will allow us to accelerate our growth, expand into new markets, and continue developing innovative products that help athletes at every level. Our vision is to bridge the gap between grassroots and professional players, while redefining how performance is measured and improved through accessible, data-driven technology.”

str8bat's association with major cricketing names like Cricket Australia and the Rajasthan Royals has boosted its profile within professional sports. Meanwhile, the partnership with SG Cricket led to the launch of the world’s first smart willow, combining tradition and innovation, as per press release. This collaboration highlights str8bat’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology to athletes worldwide, from grassroots players to elite professionals.

Zubin Bharucha, Head of Cricket at Rajasthan Royals said,” As coaches, it is not always easy to keep an eye on all our players. str8bat’s technology has allowed us to constantly monitor the delicate intricacies of how our cricketers are performing, which has helped us provide them with actionable insights and recommendations to improve their game. This now has also become one of the strategic tools in our talent scouting program”