Techsparks 2010 Winner SportingMindz launches Ecommerce venture SportsNest with seed funding by Blume Ventures

Sportsnest an e-commerce company focused on online sale of sporting, fitness and adventure gear has been launched recently. The company has been funded by Blume Ventures, a micro-venture fund that invests in tech-enabled businesses, with seed funding of upto $250K.SportsNest currently has over 25 categories for men, women and children that include clothing, footwear, fitness and adventure equipment. Over 5,000 products are available on the online store today and this is slated to go up to 25,000 SKUs soon. Customers can get their products shipped for free across India with an option of ‘Cash-on-Delivery’ and also have access to 24X7 customer care.

According to Sanjay Rao, who is also the co-founder of SportingMindz (a company focused on video analytics and predictive analysis in sports), SportsNest’s philosophy focuses on ‘playing smarter’, which involves little-known, often ignored sporting advice which helps a sports-enthusiast make the right buying decision. A panel of sporting and fitness experts from several sporting disciplines provide a buyer with sporting advice which helps him make the right choice based on the level of his game and his budget. What’s more, smart initiatives in procurement and brand tie-ups ensure that great deals are always on offer.

“With over 10 million e-commerce users in India, the digital consumer story is growing at an exponential pace due to its user friendly format. However, sporting, fitness and adventure segments are rather underserviced despite increasing demand. Customers do not have easy access to a wide range of latest products, accessories or brands. Therefore, by offering these on an online platform and combining it with expert advice and other value adds, we intend to create a whole new segment within the sports category” said Sanjay Rao, Director, SportsNest.

“Sportsnest is consistent with Blume's philosophy of picking great teams that have a desire to disrupt, however small the disruption may seem. Sports goods purchases, as an experience, must be one of the worst retail experiences that I've personally had and there seems no sign of improvement. An odd organized retail brand format in a mall isn't sufficient to cater to the ever more sporty consumers. SportsNest will deliver the promise of convenience, price and variety on the site but we're more excited about how they plan to take customer engagement and satisfaction to a new level, with some nifty innovations” said Karthik Reddy, Managing Partner, Blume Ventures.

In addition to the online store that is up and running, SportsNest plans to give its customers the ability to experience its products and buy them offline as well.