The idea for Botle, a Bengaluru-based “movement and experience brand”, as described on its website, came during a yoga class last year, says co-founder Aravind Athreya.
“It was a good studio and a very good trainer, but there were only three people in a class that could support at least 25.” It made him realise something: there were empty spots in most fitness classes in the city, “irrespective of the weather, the time or day,” says Aravind, who felt that there was a way to make these empty spots accessible to more people. “I realised that there was a scenario where people would want to go for just one class.”
Botle, soft-launched in February this year, allows you to do exactly that by letting users choose from a vast range of activities across Bengaluru. From Pilates and swimming to MMA classes, badminton, boxing, Zumba, various kinds of yoga, and strength and conditioning, classes can be booked on the Botle app, website, or Instagram handle.
This would allow users to try out various activities without having to commit fully to any single one. “Of course, there are some sports, most social ones like pickleball or badminton, in which you can book a court and just play with your friends,” says Aravind.
But there are others, including tennis, yoga, combat sports, and martial arts, that require a coach, equipment, and space. “There are a lot of sports and fitness activities that require actual assistance, and not just a facility booking. And there was nobody offering an opportunity to get that on a one-time basis.”
What also catalysed the startup is that Aravind, a techie, himself enjoys trying out different activities. “At some point in time, I actually sat down and looked back at how many sports and fitness activities I had been part of, and the list went on and on.” He realised that it was only natural for people, including fitness buffs and athletes, to hit burnout.
“Nobody can do the same thing month after month, every single day of the week,” Aravind says, a view echoed by his co-founder and professional footballer Ashwin Chakravarthy, his childhood friend.
“Being disciplined at one thing is a very old-school thought, only required for professionals who are trying to get better at a particular thing,” Ashwin believes. “But as a general human being, who wants to be fit in multiple dimensions of their life, it makes sense to diversify movement.”
At an edition of Open Play, a public weekend event by Botle that involve trying out a new activity in different parts of Bengaluru
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Botle, an acronym for “book one time learning experiences”, started small, recalls Aravind. “I wanted to try and test out the MVP (Minimum Viable Product), put it out in five centres and see if it made sense. I picked up the phone, called up people and told them about my app.”
He then began testing it on his friends and family, people who “had one or two days in the week when they didn’t work out or didn’t like the workout that was going to happen that day in the gym or yoga centre.”
Around this time, in March, he also bumped into Ashwin at a friend’s wedding and got him on board, “after which we put the foot on the gas. And have not stopped since then,” says Aravind, adding that currently there are 118 fitness and sports centres across Bengaluru that are listed on the app, which is run by their company Big Mango Tree Tech. “Since it is a passion project, we are not capital-driven at all. Most of the money that has gone into the app has come from our pockets.”
Since Botle is an aggregator, every potential listing is verified by their team before it goes onto the app, says Aravind. “Once that is verified, we show them on the app.” While the centres are not charged for being listed, a small commission is taken from every booking, “so the centre is not losing anything from us. They’re only making money, and we make money if they do; our success is dependent on theirs,” he laughs.
The founders hope to create a platform that helps “remove every barrier between a person getting back or trying a new sport every week,” says Ashwin, who believes that this model offers a lot of flexibility. “We are not against consistency. We just understand that your schedule is busy, and if you want to train better, we are giving you an option when you can pick and choose the days that you want to train.”
Another important aspect of the Botle, say the founders, is that it helps build communities through something called Open Play: public weekend events that involve trying out a new activity in different parts of Bengaluru.
People, as Ashwin points out, play sports to increase connection. “At the end of the day, everything a person does is for community; we are still a tribe.” Having these open events every weekend offers an opportunity for people to increase their social networks. “Bengaluru is a multi-cultural city, and people are always looking for novel activities to do.”
In his view, the city has a special magic to it, one that allows people of diverse cultures to enter and immediately feel at home. “Community-building exercises in Bengaluru are very easy. All you need to do is take care of logistics and put the word out; people will be there.”
Published – July 14, 2026 03:27 pm IST
#Bengalurubased #brand #fitness #sports #classes #city
