Centre Court Capital Launches INR 350 Cr Maiden Fund for Sports and Gaming The Mumbai-based fund aims to support founders bringing innovative tech and pushing the boundaries of the sports and gaming ecosystem.

Centre Court Capital has announced the launch of INR 350 crore in maiden funds for sports and gaming startups.

The fund, which aims to back founders bringing innovative tech and pushing the boundaries of the sports and gaming ecosystem, is helmed by Mustafa Ghouse, former CEO of JSW Sports, along with Alok Samtaney, who was a former investment director with TVS Capital and Sabre Partners.

According to the official release, Centre Court Capital is a SEBI-registered Category II AIF and is soon launching an offshore feeder fund in GIFT City to raise capital from international investors.

The fund has already completed its first two investments in the sports tech space. It will look to focus on early-stage opportunities, earmarking INR 8 crore to INR 24 crore, while reserving 40–50% of the fund for follow-on investments.

The sector-focused VC fund has already raised INR 200 crore in commitments from investors and top athletes.

Mustafa Ghouse, Founder and General Partner of Centre Court Capital, said, "We have seen a tremendous rise in both public and private investment in sports, which has more than quadrupled since 2020. As a result, we're seeing an acceleration in the number of startups that are building in India for India and the world. Adding to that, with 396 million gamers, we're the 2nd largest population of gamers in the world, and the gaming sector is poised to grow at a 5-year CAGR of 21%."

"We firmly believe in the potential of the space and are focused on backing exceptional founders who believe they are now ready to compete with the best in class globally. At CCC, we possess the experience and know-how to fuel the charge of sport and gaming. We are keen to write the India chapter of a trend that's growing globally," he added.