eNews
Sportz Interactive acquired by FW Sports Investment and ASK Pravi
MUMBAI: After a successful association of nearly a decade with Chicago-based STATS LLC, Sportz Interactive (“SI”), a sports-focused content and technology solutions company based in Mumbai, has now been acquired by FW Sports Investment Fund (“FSIF”) and ASK Pravi Capital Advisors Private Limited (“ASK Pravi”).
Sportz Interactive works with its clients which include sports broadcasters, media conglomerates, sports teams, leagues and associations to revolutionize the sports fan experience across consumption points by creating best-in-class, innovative products. The company’s offerings range from providing data and analytics, creating digital assets and building data visualizations to developing fantasy games, social media innovations and managing digital content.
The acquisition comes on the back of strong performance by Sportz Interactive over the past two years, during which the company tripled in revenue and grew from 100 people to over 270 players on the team. The growth has been driven by the addition of a number of new lines of business including social media innovations, fantasy gaming and data visualizations that have driven fan engagement at scale. During this time, Sportz Interactive has become an official Media Solutions Partner with Facebook and has added a number of new clients to its portfolio.
“We’ve seen stellar growth at Sportz Interactive over the past two years, and we are excited to partner with FSIF and ASK Pravi to help take us to greater heights. The next wave of growth for us is continuing to develop world-class products and taking our offerings to the world to create global scale,” said Sportz Interactive CEO Arvind Iyengar.
“We are excited to partner with Arvind, Naveen, and the whole SI team to unlock the next phase of the company’s growth. As sports investors, we see rapidly expanding opportunities globally for strong data, analytics, and technology-enabled service providers to change the way audiences interact with sports: from consuming to actually experiencing sports content. SI fits this bill precisely and we look forward to helping the company further enhance its position of leadership as well as conquer new markets,” said FSIF, director Amit R. Krishnan
“We are extremely delighted to invest in Sportz Interactive. Led by a dynamic and young leadership team, Sportz Interactive has grown into one of the best technology service providers in the fast growing Sports Services segment. We look forward to working with the team at Sportz Interactive as they embark on their next phase of growth as they leverage their best-in-class sports data management capabilities to become the partner of choice for those seeking high quality engagement in this space,” added ASKPravi MP Jayanta Banerjee
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
