Startup funding in India is not only about fresh cheques — sometimes it is about consolidation. Cricketer Virat Kohli's stake in Agilitas Sports has risen to 6.4% from 1.8% following the NCLT-approved merger of one8 Sports with Agilitas, YourStory reported on 30 October 2026.
What changed
Kohli had previously invested Rs 40 crore in the company and will continue as one8's co-founder. The merger gives one8 access to Agilitas' capabilities in product development, design, research, manufacturing and retail — the full stack behind a sports brand, rather than just a licensing arrangement.
The deal matters because it folds a celebrity-founded brand into an operating sports company with manufacturing and retail muscle. For one8, the merger converts a brand into a business with production and distribution behind it; for Agilitas, it adds one of India's most recognisable sports brands to its portfolio.
Why founders should watch
Celebrity-backed consumer brands often stall at the licensing stage, where the brand is famous but the product operation is thin. A merger like this one is the alternative path: combine the brand with a company that can actually design, manufacture and sell at scale, and let the founder stay on as co-founder to keep the brand's identity intact.
No new cash investment was announced as part of the stake increase — this is a merger-driven rise, not a fresh funding round — but it still reshapes the cap table of one of India's notable sports ventures.
Why it matters for founders
If your brand outgrows your operations, a merger with an operator can be smarter than another fundraise. Agilitas gives one8 manufacturing, design and retail in one move — and founders keeping a co-founder role through the deal keep the brand alive inside the bigger company.