Agilitas gets Rs 225 Cr funding from Nexus Venture, Rainmatter

Sportswear platform Agilitas has raised Rs 225 crore from Nexus Venture Partners and Rainmatter by Zerodha. The round includes a Rs 200 crore follow-on investment from Nexus, the venture capital firm that backs digital-native businesses in India and the US, and a Rs 25 crore investment from Rainmatter, Zerodha’s long-term startup funding arm.

The Bengaluru-based company founded by Abhishek Ganguly, Atul Bajaj and Amit Prabhu, said the capital will strengthen its capabilities across manufacturing, brand building, retail and technology.

The fresh capital is aimed at a business model that is broader than a single label. Agilitas is a vertically integrated sportswear platform with capabilities across manufacturing, research and development, brand building, retail and distribution.

The startup is trying to control more of the value chain, from designing products and making them, to selling them in its own stores and through partner channels.

Since acquiring Mochiko Shoes in 2023, the company said revenue from that business has grown to Rs 1,350 crore in FY26  from Rs 642 crore in FY23, and it now manufactures footwear for both owned and partner brands.

Last July, it launched Lotto in India and said the brand has gained traction across channels. It plans to unveil One8 on June 21, a high-performance sportswear line co-founded with Virat Kohli and positioned around innovation, functionality and performance-led design.

The company has also moved into retail through Sportsyard, a large-format multi-brand concept that brings together names such as Nike, adidas, New Balance, ASICS, Puma and Skechers. Its first Bangalore store is said to have become profitable within two months, and it now plans 10 more stores this financial year.

“We started Agilitas with a simple but ambitious belief — India deserves a sportswear company that can build across the entire value chain, from manufacturing and product creation to brands and retail,” said Co-founder and CEO Ganguly.

The funding comes at a time when India’s textile and apparel ecosystem is receiving steady policy support. The government has finalised seven PM MITRA textile parks with an outlay of Rs 4,445 crore, and approved 52 new applications under the textile PLI scheme, which supports production of man-made fibre apparel, fabrics and technical textiles. The government has also temporarily suspended the 11% customs duty on cotton imports for five months to support exporters facing input cost pressure.

“We believe India will build large, enduring businesses in sports and fitness as more people take up movement and active lifestyles. Agilitas is building for that shift.. we are happy to support them as they build a sports brand from India for the world,” shared Nithin Kamath, Founder and CEO, Zerodha and Rainmatter.

Agilitas is not alone in seeing opportunity in Indian activewear and footwear. BlissClub, a women’s activewear brand, raised Rs 33 crore in 2025, while premium sneaker brand Gully Labs raised Rs 8.7 crore in seed funding.

Global brands are also paying closer attention to India, with Lululemon expected to enter the market through Tata CliQ in 2026. Domestic footwear maker Campus Activewear has meanwhile reported FY26 revenue of more than Rs 1,770 crore.

The signals point to a sector moving beyond niche fitness wear towards a larger consumer market shaped by omnichannel retail, stronger local manufacturing and a wider shift towards active lifestyles.