Sports Startups Get Direct VC Pitch Access with IAMGAME 2025’s ‘The Game Plan’

This year’s conclave places a strong emphasis on the convergence of sports, technology, and venture capital, with curated sessions that highlight grassroots innovation, scalable revenue pathways in sports and esports, and forward-looking infrastructure solutions.

A key feature of the conclave is The Game Plan a closed-door investor pitch session that will offer selected startups a chance to present their ventures to a panel of respected investors, including Apurva Chamaria (Google), Lloyd Mathias (Angel Investor), and Pawan Raj Kumar (Zeca Ventures). Each startup will get 15 minutes to pitch, followed by an interactive dialogue with the panel. The session is designed to provide visibility and feedback to early-stage ventures contributing to the growth of India’s sports sector.

The event will also feature high-level discussions on public-private collaborations, digital media's expanding role in fan engagement, and emerging opportunities in sports financing.

Prominent speakers include Sudhanshu Mittal, President of the International Kho Kho Federation; Krishnan Chatterjee, Google Cloud India; Vinit Karnik, GroupM; Darshana Bhalla, D’Artist Sports Ventures; and Arjun Singh, Grant Thornton Bharat, among others.

Sessions will also explore how athlete-led ventures, esports platforms, and data-driven tools are creating new value in the industry. Legal frameworks, fan engagement models, and investment strategies will be central to these discussions.

In addition, the conclave will feature a dedicated segment on women-led sports businesses, spotlighting inspiring journeys and entrepreneurial innovation. Other panels will look at how technology and media are enabling the rise of regional sports content and helping expand reach across demographics.

Karan Singh Chettri, Founder & CEO, IAMGAME, shared his thoughts on the vision behind the conclave:"India’s sports economy is evolving with exciting momentum, driven by the efforts of athletes, entrepreneurs, and institutions alike. At IAMGAME, our focus is on creating spaces for genuine collaboration and exchange. ‘The Game Plan’ is an initiative that brings promising startups closer to those who can help them refine their ideas, expand their networks, and shape impactful journeys within the sports space.”

Mandeep Malhotra, Co-Founder & Director, IAMGAME, added: "We see IAMGAME as more than an event; it's a platform for building future-facing conversations around sports entrepreneurship. With ‘The Game Plan’, we’re creating a space where ventures can connect with enablers and decision-makers in meaningful ways.” By convening voices across the spectrum from athletes and startups to investors and policymakers IAMGAME 2025 aims to catalyze innovation, foster dialogue, and contribute to a vibrant, forward-looking sports ecosystem in India.

About IAMGAME:
IAMGAME is India’s definitive platform focused on the business of sports, launched to address the systemic gaps in India’s sports ecosystem. It fosters dialogue, collaboration and innovation by uniting all stakeholders from players and coaches to investors, media and policymakers. With a vision to make India a global sporting force, IAMGAME is the launchpad for tomorrow’s sports innovators and leaders.