MAM
Rise Worldwide to rep Manchester City in India
MUMBAI: Reliance Industries-owned sports management firm Rise Worldwide has secured a stellar signing with Manchester City, forming a formidable partnership that promises to boost the brilliant Blues’ brand in the burgeoning Indian market.
The dazzling deal designates Rise Worldwide as City’s commercial crusaders in India, tasked with tracking down tailor-made tie-ups for the Premiership powerhouse. This partnership presents a perfect platform for Indian brands to capitalise on connecting with the club’s growing galaxy of fans across the subcontinent.
Rise Worldwide, which has firmly footed itself as India’s matchday maestros in sports management, will leverage its local leverage and marketing muscle to help Manchester City score spectacular sponsorships across India’s commercial landscape.
Manchester City, whose trophy cabinet continues to creak under considerable silverware success, has signalled its serious stance on the Indian market through this calculated collaboration.
“Manchester City is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and we are honoured with the opportunity to engage and enable partnerships for them in India,” said Rise Worldwide head Nikhil Bardia. “We aim to identify and engage in long-term partnerships that will drive business growth and contribute to the development of football.”
This pitch-perfect partnership promises to propel both parties forward, with Manchester City gaining greater ground in one of football’s fastest flourishing frontiers, while Rise reinforces its reputation as the premier player in India’s sports business sector.
Football fanatics across the nation will be watching with wonder as this commercial courtship kicks off what could be a long and lucrative liaison between Indian brands and the Etihad outfit.
Brands
SatLeo Labs raises $5.5m seed funding led by Unicorn India Ventures
Fresh capital to power thermal satellite mission and AI data platform
MUMBAI: SatLeo Labs has raised $2.2 million in a fresh seed round led by Unicorn India Ventures, taking its total funding to $5.5 million as it steps up efforts to scale its space-based thermal intelligence platform.
The funding round also saw participation from existing backers including Merak Ventures, Java Capital, IIMA-CIIE and deep-tech investor Manish Gandhi.
The capital will be used to accelerate SatLeo’s flagship thermal satellite mission and further develop its AI-powered platform designed to deliver high-resolution thermal and visible data from low Earth orbit. The company aims to turn this data into actionable insights for sectors ranging from climate monitoring to urban planning.
Over the past year, SatLeo has scaled rapidly, growing its team from 8 to 30 specialists across satellite engineering, thermal sensing and AI-led geospatial analytics. It has also achieved a key milestone with the development of its first experimental payload, TAPAS-1, which reached near flight-ready status within six months and is now positioned for launch.
On the ground, the startup has begun translating its technology into real-world use cases. Pilot projects in cities such as Ahmedabad and Tumakuru have focused on monitoring urban heat islands and air pollution, impacting over 400,000 citizens. At the same time, its commercial pipeline has expanded sharply, with letters of intent rising from around $15 million to over $42 million within a year.
SatLeo Labs co-founder and CEO Shravan Bhati said, “Sustainability has become imperative amid accelerating climate change and rapid urbanisation. This fundraise represents a critical milestone as we move into the execution phase of our next mission.”
He added that the company is focused on scaling its satellite constellation and enhancing payload performance to deliver thermal intelligence at a global level.
Backing the startup, Unicorn India Ventures managing partner Bhaskar Majumdar said, “Space is an arena where the next wave of technological innovation will emerge. SatLeo’s ability to combine thermal and visible satellite data into real-time insights positions it strongly for long-term growth.”
Looking ahead, SatLeo plans to focus on launch readiness, expanding commercial deployments and scaling its technology stack over the next 12 months.
As demand for climate and environmental intelligence grows, SatLeo’s latest fundraise signals rising investor confidence in space-tech solutions that bring data from orbit down to everyday decision-making.
