Sports technology company str8bat has raised USD 3.5 million in a Series A funding round, with Exfinity Venture Partners taking the lead. Shailesh Ghorpade, Founding Managing Partner at Exfinity, has taken a board position at str8bat as part of the investment. The round also saw participation from TRTL, Eternal Capital, and the VCats group (including Venture Catalyst and VCgrid), alongside existing investors such as Techstars and SucSEED Indovation Fund.
This fresh funding will enable str8bat to accelerate product development, expand its marketing efforts, introduce new product lines, and grow its geographic footprint. The company’s flagship product, a cricket bat wearable device, delivers real-time data analytics, helping players to enhance their game. The innovation has already attracted major clients, including Rajasthan Royals and Cricket Australia, who partnered with str8bat to launch the world’s first smart willow—a groundbreaking move in the realm of sports technology and athlete performance.
Cricket has traditionally been defined by English and Kashmir willows, but str8bat is changing the game by embedding cutting-edge technology directly into the bat itself. This innovation allows the bat to “talk,” providing real-time performance data to players and coaches. In collaboration with SG, str8bat has enabled thousands of players across India to own the smart willow, enhancing both grassroots and professional training methods.
“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 revolutionize the game on a global stage,” said Gagan Daga, Co-founder of 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 partnerships with Cricket Australia and Rajasthan Royals have played a critical role in raising the company’s profile within professional sports. These collaborations demonstrate the product’s utility in improving player performance at all levels. In particular, their year-long partnership with SG has resulted in the world’s first smart willow, a cricket bat that merges traditional craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology.
Zubin Bharucha, Head of Cricket at Rajasthan Royals, emphasized the value of this technology: “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.”
With the Series A funding, str8bat is set to continue revolutionizing the global sports-tech landscape, driving forward its vision of making advanced data-driven technology accessible to athletes at every level. By bridging the gap between grassroots players and elite professionals, str8bat aims to redefine how performance is measured and improved on cricket pitches worldwide.
