AirUpThere targets to raise RM600,000 via pitchIN for SEA expansion plans

Sportstech startup, AirUpThere Technologies (AirUpThere), founded in 2018, has targeted to raise further funds of RM600,000 (USD143,280.00) via equity crowdfunding platform pitchIN. The ECF campaign is LIVE on pitchIN.

Huddle is a digital marketplace and management suite for all amateur sports enthusiasts in Southeast Asia. The digital platform provides access to hundreds of games and tracks the progress of thousands of players across Malaysia and the region. This evolution of the sports into the digital age will help ensure the continuation of every day sports for the youth in school programs as well as adult weekend warriors.

Whether you are a weekend warrior looking for an adult football league to join or a parent looking for the best coach in town for your kid’s tennis skills, Huddle users simply search, buy, and join from our vast network of partners and sports organisations.

Huddle Host, the management suite for sports organisers helps simplify administrative and marketing work by publishing to Huddle Marketplace and access an entire region of youth and everyday athletes.

The app and content are currently focusing on the local Malaysian sports scene with high traffic looking at livestreams of selected tournaments and leagues, contributor content from leagues, teams and academies, amongst others.

Sports organisers use Huddle as a complete sports program management tool where they are able to create and manage sports programs and schedules while athletes join the marketplace that curates and rates sports programs for athletes and parents.

To date AirUpThere have already signed up 115 sports organisers via Huddle and that has generated a revenue of RM478,000 with 4,100 online profiles on the platform.

The company is set to scale over the Southeast Asian market said Andri Khusahry, CEO of AirUpThere, adding that their initial focus is on 4 main sports, badminton, basketball, running and football which comprise 30% of the total participatory sports market in ASEAN makes up for approximately 50 million people as the addressable market.

The CEO further added that the target for 2021 will be the expansion plans into Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia.

“Huddle aims to help people of all walks of life play better together with its commitment to community, technology, and continuous improvement on the platform,” Khusahry said, adding that they use technology to provide access to hundreds of games and track the progress of thousands of players across the region in the palm of your hand.

By digitising the community, Huddle unlocks the massive potential of a fragmented Southeast Asian market valued at an estimated USD $20 billion.

Khusahry also said that with the challenges stemming from Covid-19, we also see this platform as a vital way to help stakeholders in the sports industry stay afloat by being able to reach a broader targeted audience, simplify operations, and incorporate contactless SOPs such as cashless transactions.

Huddle is currently addressing a local market size of 10,000 of total organisers and coaches, 1.9 million of total athletes (18+) with badminton being the highest addressable market of 12.19% of population, 486 organisers, 1.17 million athletes (18+) and 4,600 coaches throughout the country.

Previously, AirUpThere had received a RM300,000 (USD70,561) grant in 2018 from Cradle Fund’s CIP300 grant  and had successfully achieved program deliverables.

The company was also part of the ever growing Structured Coaching Program (SCP) conducted by Proficeo for Cradle Fund as part of the CIP300 grant recipient program.

With the funding raised, AirUpThere will be allocating 25% for technology improvement of it’s Huddle platform, 40% for marketing efforts and 35% towards strengthening their talent pool.

Understanding that creating a community and getting traction is critical to have a successful app, AirUpThere is most certain that their engagement metrics and user growth have nowhere else to go but upwards and onwards.