Top 10 Indian Cricketers Backing Indian Startups
In addition to performing feats of magic with their bats and balls, Indian cricketers are also magicians off the field, with some of them exhibiting extraordinary potential as businesspeople. Yuvraj Singh, a former cricketer who is now a venture investor, and former Indian captain Virat Kohli, who has a variety of companies and interests in Indian startups, are two examples. There are many Indian cricketers who are either successful company owners or who have made investments in profitable enterprises in their country. Here is a list of a few cricketers.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli, a former captain of the Indian cricket team, began his investment career in 2014 when he paid an unknown sum for a share in Sports Convo, a social media firm located in London. In February 2020, Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma jointly contributed $340 K (INR 2.5 cr) to Bengaluru-based insurtech firm Digit Insurance. The former captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore contributed $1.8 million in 2020 to Universal Sportsbiz, a fashion company formed in 2012 by Anjana Reddy. In addition, Kohli co-owns Universal Sportsbiz, a company backed by Sachin Tendulkar, and the clothing line Wrogn, which was introduced in November 2014. (USPL). With a 30% investment in the gym and fitness business Chisel, Kohli spent INR 90 Cr. In 2015, the announcement was made. Virat Kohli, an Indian cricket player, made an undisclosed investment in the food and beverage D2C business Rage Coffee in March 2022.
M.S. Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a former captain of the Indian cricket team, has invested money in a variety of Indian businesses, such as the business ledger software Khatabook, the auto marketplace Cars24, the direct-to-consumer food and beverage firm 7InkBrews, and the interior design venture HomeLane. Dhoni has contributed to 7InkBrews and agreed to serve as the company's brand ambassador through 2021.
Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane, an Indian cricketer, made an undisclosed investment in Pune-based MeraKisan, an agritech business, in 2020. In 2020, Rahane also made an investment in Hudle, a sports technology and events firm located in Delhi. Rahane has been named as the brand ambassador and advisor for the firm.
Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir, a former cricketer who is now a politician, has also invested an unknown sum in the healthtech business FYI Health in 2020. Stark Resilient is the owner of FYI Health, which was founded by Yash Raj Gupta. It enables businesses to offer real-time health information wherever they have offices and to benefit from community involvement.
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev, the first captain of an Indian team to win the World Cup, has made an undisclosed investment in the technology firm Harmonizer India, which focuses on the electricity industry. WizCounsel, a Delhi-based online market network, received INR 1 Cr in an angel round in 2019 that was co-led by Kapil Dev and other individuals. WizCounsel is a marketplace for tax, accounting, and compliance services that was established in 2018 by Ranu Gupta and Royce Raju Beena. In 2019, Dev also made an investment in VAOO. In order to promote brands, Dev partnered with Business - to - business marketplace Pumpkart in 2018. Dev has invested in PeopleEasy.com, an online grocery startup located in Delhi, as an angel investor. Dev also has a 5% investment in Zicom Electronics, a company that creates security systems.
Sourav Ganguly
Saurav Ganguly, the current president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and a former captain of India are both investors in the edtech business Classplus. The former Indian cricket captain invested an unknown sum in Mumbai-based entertainment business Flickstree in 2017, marking his maiden foray into the startup industry. Flickstree was founded in 2014 by Saurabh Singh, Rahul Jain, and Nagender Sangra. In August 2016, the site was formally launched. It is a network of video publishers with AI capabilities that enables users to interact and monetize their traffic.
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar, invested in the Internet of Things (IoT) business Smartron India in Bengaluru and took on the role of brand ambassador for the company in 2016. In December 2021, the Rajya Sabha MP also joined the upstart used automobile retailer Spinny as a strategic investor and brand ambassador. In July 2012, the former cricket player invested $2 million in JetSynthesys. Unacademy, an edtech company located in Bengaluru, appointed Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador in February 2021. Additionally, the former cricketer made an undisclosed investment in Unacademy.In 2013, Tendulkar made an investment in Smaaash Entertainment. It is a 2009-launched sports and gaming venue.
Yuvraj Singh
In September 2021, Yuvraj Singh made an undisclosed investment in the full-stack nutrition company Wellversed. Singh will serve as the startup's three-year brand ambassador in addition to funding. In April 2017, Startup Buddy, situated in Gurugram, received an undisclosed sum from Singh's investment company YouWeCan Ventures.JetSetGo, a private aviation marketplace with offices in Bengaluru, received an unknown sum of money from Singh's YouWeCan Ventures in July 2015.In addition to starting YouWeCan Ventures in 2015, the cricketer has invested in a number of other firms, including Healthians and EazyDine.
Shikhar Dhawan
In June 2020, Indian player Shikhar Dhawan made an undisclosed investment in Sarva, a yoga-focused health and wellness firm. Founded in 2013, Sarva is an Indian yoga studio business with 91 locations and 16,000 members that offers 25 different types of yoga to patrons ages 2-92.
Rudra Pratap Singh
In April 2020, former Indian fast bowler Rudra Pratap Singh made an undisclosed investment in SportsUno, a firm that develops sports technology. SportsUno offers technology assistance to sports businesses, with a primary concentration on five sports: basketball, badminton, table tennis, football, and cricket.