Quick-fashion startup Slikk targets ₹100-Cr monthly GMV

September 12, 2026

Quick-fashion commerce startup Slikk is targeting a monthly gross merchandise value (GMV) of ₹90-100 crore from Bengaluru by March as it expands its dark-store network and prepares to enter Delhi and Mumbai within the next six to nine months, according to Akshay Gulati, co-founder and chief executive officer.

The Bengaluru-based company has grown nearly 10x over the past six to seven months. Currently, Slikk operates six dark stores in the city and plans to add four more over the next two months. By the end of the year, the company expects to operate around 12 dark stores across Bengaluru.

“We’re also on track to reach ₹45-50 crore in monthly GMV over the next two months,” Gulati said.

However, Slikk’s expansion comes as the quick-fashion segment faces growing questions about the sustainability of rapid delivery models. Several startups have struggled to scale in the category, while established fashion platforms such as Myntra and Reliance Retail have also introduced faster delivery services within their existing ecosystems.

Despite these challenges, Slikk is relying on repeat purchases and stronger unit economics to drive its growth. Gulati said the company’s repeat rate ranks among the highest in India’s fashion marketplace sector, covering both established and emerging fashion platforms.

Currently, Slikk offers more than 25,000 SKUs on its platform, with approximately 40-45% coming from its “BAU drivers”, or products that consistently contribute to sales. This product mix allows the company to focus on items that generate sustained customer demand.

Unlike several consumer internet companies that depend heavily on discounts to encourage repeat purchases, Slikk claims that it offers negligible discounts to returning customers. “All our repeats are driven by great serviceability, our curation getting better month on month, and a better selection coming on board,” Gulati said.

Furthermore, Slikk claims to generate positive contribution margins at the order level. Gulati said the company currently records the highest net CM1 among quick-commerce players. Meanwhile, its burn has declined by 50% over the past six months, while CM2 has continued to improve each month.

As the company scales, Slikk is also positioning itself as a broader fashion destination for consumers aged 18-35 rather than limiting its identity to quick fashion.

“We’re evolving into a primary fashion destination for everyone in the 18 to 35 age group, and that’s working really well for us,” Gulati said.

Slikk has raised $13.5 million through three funding rounds and plans to raise additional capital over the next couple of months. The company secured $300,000 in pre-seed funding, followed by a $3.2 million seed round led by Lightspeed and a $10 million Series A led by Nexus Venture Partners, with participation from Lightspeed.

Sumadhura Group plans ₹17,000-Cr investment by 2030

BRL Editor

September 12, 2026

Sumadhura Group has announced plans to invest ₹17,000 crore and launch 45 million sq ft of real estate projects over the next four years through 2030. The company plans to strengthen its presence in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai while also exploring opportunities in the Mumbai real estate market, according to Madhusudhan G, Chairman and Managing Director, Sumadhura Group. He also said the company remains open to launching an Initial Public Offering (IPO) to raise funds over the medium to long term.

The company marked 30 years in business earlier this week and outlined its transition from a residential developer into a diversified real estate group. Sumadhura Group now operates across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai and has expanded its portfolio across multiple asset classes. So far, the company has completed 56 projects covering more than 17 million sq ft, while another 15 million sq ft remains under development and more than 40 million sq ft sits in its project pipeline.

“Strengthening its residential portfolio, the Group plans to launch 35 million sq ft across its core markets, with an estimated Gross Development Value (GDV) of ₹38,000 crore. The group plans to foray into the luxury villas segment and expand its land bank in high-growth micro-markets across three cities,” the company said in its statement.

On the commercial side, Sumadhura Group plans to develop 4.2 million sq ft of Grade A office space, which could generate potential annual rental income of ₹700 crore. The expansion will also mark Sumadhura’s entry into premium commercial developments along Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (ORR). Consequently, the company aims to strengthen its commercial portfolio while building a larger base of rent-generating assets.

Furthermore, the company plans to expand its warehousing portfolio to 6 million sq ft of planned development, with potential annual rental income of ₹225 crore. Building on its logistics park in Hoskote, Bangalore, and its recent expansion into Chennai through a 1.2 million sq ft Grade A industrial and logistics park in Red Hills, Sumadhura Group will deepen its presence in the industrial and logistics segment. The company also aims to expand its portfolio of rent-yielding assets across key warehousing corridors.

According to Madhusudhan, Sumadhura Group has no immediate or short-term plans to launch an IPO to finance its expansion. “The ₹17,000 crore of planned investment over the four years will come from debt and pre-sales. We are aiming at debt of ₹3,000 crore and pre-sales of ₹14,000 crore to meet our total investment of ₹17,000 crore,” Madhusudhan said.

“In the medium term or long term, we may explore the option of floating an IPO, but it will not be immediately. We are also open to the Mumbai real estate market, including redevelopment opportunities. We keep looking at proposals, but we will enter when the opportunity and time are right for us,” he said.

Looking ahead, Sumadhura Group intends to consolidate its position in established markets while entering emerging growth corridors and strengthening its capabilities across different real estate segments. “Going forward, our focus will be on strengthening our position in established markets, expanding into emerging growth corridors, and building the capabilities to capture opportunities across India’s evolving real estate landscape,” Madhusudan said.

The Gourmet Cafe targets 36+ outlets across India in 5 years

BRL Editor

September 12, 2026

The Gourmet Cafe (TGC), which gained national attention after introducing The Cheesecake Factory Bakery®’s cheesecake portfolio to India for the first time, is planning an ambitious expansion across the country. The company aims to build a footprint of more than 36 outlets over the next five years while developing a multi-brand portfolio of differentiated global food and hospitality concepts.

TGC plans to operate four outlets by the end of 2026 and add two more outlets in the first quarter of 2027. Thereafter, the company plans to open six to eight unique outlets annually across India, taking its total footprint to more than 36 outlets over the next five years.

This expansion also reflects The Gourmet Cafe’s broader strategic vision. Rather than building a conventional single-brand food-service chain, the company aims to establish itself as a multi-brand curator and India partner for differentiated global food and hospitality brands. Through this approach, TGC plans to introduce distinctive international food and hospitality concepts to Indian consumers through an expanding retail network.

The Gourmet Cafe’s first major proposition, The Cheesecake Factory Bakery®’s premium cheesecake portfolio, has attracted strong consumer interest since its India debut. Moreover, demand has expanded beyond Bengaluru, with consumers across the country showing interest in the portfolio and anticipating the company’s upcoming launches.

Commenting on the expansion, Masthan Adam, Founder & CEO, The Gourmet Cafe, said, “We are seeing strong demand from consumers across India for the propositions being brought to market through The Gourmet Cafe, with interest extending well beyond Bengaluru. This is shaping the scale and pace of our expansion as we look to build a larger presence across the country. For us, the opportunity goes beyond building a retail footprint. We are developing The Gourmet Cafe as a multi-brand platform for unique and differentiated global food and hospitality concepts. Bringing The Cheesecake Factory Bakery® cheesecake portfolio to India for the first time has been an important example of this approach and has demonstrated the strong consumer appetite for authentic international food propositions. India’s increasingly global, aspirational, and well-travelled consumer is looking for experiences that are differentiated and authentic. We see a significant opportunity to build The Gourmet Cafe around this shift and create a scalable, multi-brand business with long-term relevance in the Indian market.”

Mecka AI nears $500 Mn valuation in Sequoia-led funding round

BRL Editor

September 12, 2026

Mecka AI nears $500 Mn valuation in Sequoia-led funding round — Jason Chong, Mogen Cheng, Josh Gao, and Duy Nguyen, co-founders, Mecka AI

Mecka AI, a startup that collects and analyses human motion data to train humanoid robots and other robotic systems, is nearing a new funding round led by Sequoia Capital at a valuation of around $500 million, according to two people familiar with the deal.

The potential financing comes just three months after Mecka AI announced a $60 million funding round led by Framework Ventures, with participation from Menlo Ventures, SV Angel, and Kindred Ventures. The latest round would mark a significant increase in the company’s valuation within a short period.

However, Mecka AI did not respond to a request for comment, while Sequoia Capital declined to comment.

Mecka AI was founded in 2024 by four entrepreneurs, including Canadians Josh Gao and Mogen Cheng, who previously built a restaurant fintech startup. Jason Chong, another co-founder, joined Coinbase after the company acquired his crypto exchange. Meanwhile, Duy Nguyen, the only non-Canadian member of the founding team, oversees operations at Mecka AI.

The company takes its name from “mecha”, a fictional giant robot controlled by humans. Mecka AI aims to replicate the role that companies such as Scale AI, Mercor, and Surge play in providing human-generated data for large language models. To achieve this, the startup pays people to record themselves performing everyday activities, such as making coffee and repairing cars, using body sensors and smartphones.

Additionally, Mecka AI had projected that it would reach an annual run rate of $100 million by the end of 2026. Josh Gao shared the projection with Fortune in early June when the company announced its previous funding round.

Although Mecka AI has not publicly revealed its customer list, numerous robotics companies and AI research labs use real-world data captured through its “egocentric” approach. In addition, robotics developers combine this type of physical data collection with methods such as teleoperation to train and improve their models.

Athena raises pre-seed funding from Campus Fund to scale protein foods

BRL Editor

September 12, 2026

Athena, a high-protein food brand focused on everyday consumption in India, has raised its pre-seed round from Campus Fund. The company currently operates in Bengaluru and Hyderabad and has now expanded its presence to Chennai.

Athena’s first product, a clean-label Greek yogurt, delivers 22g of protein in a single 200g cup priced at INR 75. This price point makes high-protein dairy accessible for daily consumption rather than occasional use. By comparison, similar protein servings in the premium chilled category typically retail for INR 125 to INR 150.

The company spent more than a year developing the formulation. Delivering 22g of protein in a single cup while maintaining a smooth texture presents a significant challenge, with most global players stopping below 17g. However, Athena achieved its protein target through ultrafiltration, milk protein concentrate, and added milk solids. The product contains no protein isolates, stabilizers, or preservatives, while the flavoured variants also contain no added sugar. Furthermore, Athena achieves a 30-day shelf life through the use of bioprotective cultures.

Customer demand emerged immediately after the launch. Athena generated approximately INR 1 lakh in sales on its launch day from a single organic post on r/Fitness_India, which later recorded 1.1 million views, 4,024 upvotes, and 1,058 comments. The company achieved this traction without a media plan, performance marketing, or influencer roster. Since launching in June 2025, Athena has developed a 40% to 45% returning customer rate, while prepaid subscriptions contribute approximately 70% of its revenue. In addition, customers have created more than 500 organic posts about the brand. Athena has also become a category leader on FirstClub, extending its momentum beyond its direct-to-consumer channel.

“Athena felt like an obvious product the moment we tried it. Consumers want more protein, but they want it from clean, familiar food they can eat every day. Adarsh and Siddhant have delivered 22 g of protein in a great-tasting INR 75 cup and then built the supply chain and operating systems that make that price point actually work at scale. Several of us at Campus Fund were paying customers before Athena arrived as a deal. That is not something a diligence process can manufacture.” – Richa Bajpai, Founder and CEO, Campus Fund.

Meanwhile, Athena has developed a reliable operating model based on subscriptions, demand forecasting, and delivery planning. This approach helps the company manage its perishable products, minimise wastage and maintain operational efficiency as it enters new markets.

Athena Protein was co-founded by Adarsh Humne. He oversees technology, growth, and finance. Siddhant Humne leads product R&D, cold chain, fulfilment and on-ground operations. The founders bootstrapped the business entirely through their personal savings, without taking on borrowings or raising prior external capital.

“We started Athena because protein shouldn’t have to mean another powder, shake, or bar in your day. We wanted to make something people look forward to eating, with enough protein to matter and at a price that makes daily consumption possible. The response in Bengaluru and Hyderabad tells us this can be a much larger everyday food brand.” – Adarsh Humne, Co-founder, Athena Protein.

The newly raised capital will support Athena’s expansion into new cities, quick-commerce onboarding with platforms including Blinkit and Zepto, increased manufacturing and cold-chain capacity, team expansion, and new product development. Over the coming year, Athena plans to grow from two cities to five or six, with Chennai already living and Pune and Mumbai next in line. At the same time, the company is developing new products as it works to make high-protein food a part of everyday consumption in India.

StayVista opens Raaya Estate in Igatpuri

BRL Editor

September 11, 2026

StayVista has added RAAYA Estate, the private holiday home of former India Test captain Ajinkya Rahane, to its portfolio. Located in Igatpuri, the five-bedroom property will open for bookings on the platform from 11 September 2026.

Set amid the hills of Igatpuri and overlooking a lake, Rahane created RAAYA Estate as a private retreat for his family. The property can accommodate up to 15 guests and features five king-size bedrooms, an infinity pool, a gazebo, landscaped gardens, a children’s play area, and an in-house bar.

Additionally, the estate features a dedicated cricket memorabilia room that reflects Rahane’s career and personal connection with the property. The space showcases memorabilia and memories from different phases of his cricketing journey, offering guests a glimpse into the former India Test captain’s life beyond the sport.

Moreover, guests staying at RAAYA Estate will receive access to StayVista’s Vieda offering, which includes curated activities, all-day dining, and personalised butler service. Meanwhile, StayVista’s on-ground team will manage the property throughout the guest experience, from the booking process through the stay.

The estate also offers convenient access to several attractions around Igatpuri, including Camel Valley’s waterfalls, Tringalwadi Fort, and Kalsubai Peak. As a result, guests can explore local trails, historic forts, and waterfalls while enjoying the privacy of the estate.

Ajinkya Rahane said, “I built this home as a place for my family and me to slow down, switch off from cricket, and spend quality time together. For me, it is about the simple things: being with my wife and kids, enjoying the surroundings, and creating memories away from the game. I’m happy to now share this special place with others and hope they can create their own memories here.”

Amit Damani, Co-founder, StayVista, said, “Having admired Ajinkya’s cricketing journey as a fan, I’m delighted that we are now partnering with him to bring his personal retreat to StayVista guests. RAAYA Estate is another addition to our portfolio as we continue to bring private homes into the StayVista family.”

Overall, the addition of RAAYA Estate expands StayVista’s Vieda collection with a privately owned holiday home that carries a strong personal connection to Ajinkya Rahane. Through the partnership, guests can experience the estate’s distinctive setting, hospitality, and cricket-inspired elements while exploring the natural attractions of Igatpuri.

Peninsula Del Mar launches 25-acre beachfront resort in Karnataka

BRL Editor

September 11, 2026

Peninsula Del Mar has introduced an expansive 25-acre beachfront resort near Yermal Beach in Coastal Karnataka, just 45 minutes from Mangalore International Airport. Surrounded by lush greenery on three sides and opening directly onto the Arabian Sea, the resort combines contemporary luxury, nature, wellness, dining, and ocean-focused experiences to create an all-inclusive coastal retreat.

The resort features ocean-view rooms and suites, each with private balconies, along with an infinity pool overlooking the sea and direct access to the beach. In addition, guests can access a state-of-the-art fitness centre, spa and wellness facilities, landscaped gardens and Atmos, an exclusive lounge designed for suite guests.

Furthermore, Peninsula Del Mar caters to leisure travellers as well as guests planning celebrations and corporate events. The resort offers expansive ocean-facing lawns and a grand ballroom, making it suitable for destination weddings, corporate retreats, and social gatherings.

At the centre of the resort’s culinary experience, SOL by the Sea offers a vibrant coastal dining destination that combines global flavours with locally sourced ingredients, fresh seafood, and artisanal preparations. Moreover, its ocean-facing setting, beachside infinity pool, and relaxed ambience make it suitable for casual meals, family gatherings, sundowners, and laid-back evenings by the sea.

Meanwhile, Peninsula Del Mar adds an adventurous element through its exclusive surf and ocean experience for in-house guests. The programme provides surfing lessons for beginners, intermediate surfers, and advanced learners, while helping participants build their skills and explore the Arabian Sea. Guests can also use outdoor showers, dedicated briefing spaces, and recovery zones, creating a seamless experience before and after their time in the water.

Speaking on the launch, Karunakar R. Shetty, founder, Chairman & Director, said, “Through Peninsula Del Mar, our vision was to create more than a resort—we wanted to create a destination that reflects the essence of the coast through natural beauty, architectural grandeur, and meaningful experiences. Peninsula Del Mar brings together luxury, wellness, dining, and adventure to offer a distinctive new expression of coastal hospitality in Karnataka.”

By combining beachfront accommodation, curated dining, wellness facilities, destination-event spaces and exclusive surfing experiences, the resort offers travellers a comprehensive coastal retreat while presenting a distinctive new chapter in Karnataka’s hospitality landscape.

ECKO Hotels & Resorts launches luxury brand, signs 100-room hotel in Bhopal

BRL Editor

September 11, 2026

ECKO Hotels & Resorts has announced the launch of a new brand dedicated to upscale and luxury properties. At the same time, the company has signed a 100-room all-suite hotel in Bhopal as part of its expansion strategy.

The upcoming brand will target travellers seeking a more elevated hospitality experience while maintaining the warmth and accessibility associated with ECKO Hotels & Resorts. However, the company will announce the brand name and additional details at a later stage.

Meanwhile, the new Bhopal property will occupy five acres near the city centre. The project will feature an all-suite upscale hotel, which ECKO Hotels & Resorts describes as the first property of its kind in Madhya Pradesh.

In addition, the hotel will feature extensive banqueting and conference facilities. These spaces will cater to conventions, corporate events, weddings, and social gatherings, allowing the property to serve Bhopal’s growing business and events ecosystem.

Located in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh and widely known as the City of Lakes, the hotel will provide convenient access to the city’s commercial and events markets. Therefore, the property aims to attract both business and leisure demand.

Furthermore, the project reflects ECKO Hotels & Resorts’ broader strategy of developing larger-format hotels supported by substantial banqueting and food and beverage facilities. The company intends to give property owners an opportunity to host large-scale events while generating revenue through conferences, weddings, and other social occasions.

With the Bhopal signing, ECKO Hotels & Resorts continues to strengthen its presence across India. Moreover, the project marks an important step in the company’s plans to develop its new upscale and luxury brand portfolio.

Quick-service restaurant company Popo Global raises Rs 532-Cr to back restaurant expansion

BRL Editor

September 11, 2026

Quick-service restaurant company Popo Global raises Rs 532-Cr to back restaurant expansion — Abhijit Gupta and Nikhil Gupta, co-founders, Popo Global

Popo Global, the Bengaluru-based company behind gourmet food brands The Pizza Bakery, Paris Panini, and Smash Guys have raised Rs 532 crore from global investment firm Artal Asia in exchange for a significant minority stake.

The investment follows a report in April that Popo Ventures was exploring a Rs 550-600 crore stake sale at a valuation of approximately Rs 1,300-1,350 crore. At the time, investors, including Norwest Venture Partners, A91 Partners, TR Capital, and Temasek, had reportedly evaluated the opportunity. The proposed transaction was expected to comprise largely secondary shares, with a small primary component also under consideration.

However, Popo Global has not revealed the valuation or the exact structure of the transaction. Nevertheless, sources said the deal values the company at around Rs 1,500 crore.

Notably, this marks Popo Global’s first external funding round. Until now, the company has largely relied on bootstrapped capital to finance its expansion since its establishment.

While welcoming Artal Asia to their cap table, Nikhil and AB Gupta said, “9 years ago, we were trying to figure out how to make one great pizza. We didn’t set out to build a leading restaurant company and certainly not to be talking one day about bringing in a global investor. What we did have was an obsession with making food people genuinely wanted to come back for and a slightly irrational belief that restaurants could be built differently.”

“That belief became a business, then three brands, and now a platform we think can be much bigger than any one of them. Bringing Artal Asia into Popo lets us think considerably bigger while keeping the spirit that got us here—never cutting any corners on quality. The best part is that this still feels like the beginning. We have a few more ovens to play with now,” they added.

Meanwhile, The Rainmaker Group served as the exclusive financial adviser to Popo Global for the transaction. Invus acted as the global investment adviser to Artal Asia.

Avijit Goel, Partner, The Rainmaker Group said, “With Artal Asia’s patient capital and global operating expertise, this fundamentally well-run, Bangalore-born company is well-positioned to become India’s most-loved restaurant business.”

Founded in 2017 by brothers Nikhil Gupta and Abhijit “AB” Gupta, Popo Global has expanded from a single The Pizza Bakery outlet into a multi-brand food platform. Today, the company operates around 40 outlets across The Pizza Bakery, Paris Panini, and Smash Guys.

So far, Popo Global has built most of its presence in Bengaluru. However, the company now plans to take its brands to markets beyond the city. Therefore, the latest investment will help fund its next phase of expansion.

Furthermore, the transaction gives Artal Asia a minority holding in Popo Global and expands its exposure to the food and beverage sector.

Artal Asia operates as an affiliate of Artal Group, which has global investments in businesses such as CAVA, the U.S.-based Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain. In India, Artal Group has invested in Capital Foods, which Tata Consumer Products acquired for Rs 5,200 crore in 2024.

“Our mission is to empower exceptional entrepreneurs to transform their industries. We are proud to support Popo Global in continuing their customer and product obsession at greater scale,” said Lee Swee Yin, director at Artal Asia.

For Popo Global, the transaction represents a major institutional investment as the company prepares to scale its restaurant brands beyond Bengaluru and build a larger multi-brand food and beverage platform.

Pocket FM doubles revenue run rate to $500 Million with AI

BRL Editor

September 11, 2026

Pocket FM doubles revenue run rate to $500 Million with AI — Nishanth K S, Prateek Dixit and Rohan Nayak, co-founders, Pocket FM

Pocket FM, the Indian audio storytelling platform, has doubled its annualized revenue run rate to $500 million over the past year as the company increasingly uses artificial intelligence to scale content production.

According to co-founder and CEO Rohan Nayak, AI now powers 93% of Pocket FM’s overall catalog and supports 99% of the company’s newly produced content. However, the platform continues to depend on human creators for ideas and storytelling.

The company’s strategy reflects the growing role of generative AI in content production. However, Pocket FM, which launched in 2018 as a serialized audio storytelling platform, uses AI primarily to transform human-developed concepts into finished content at scale rather than allowing the technology to create stories independently.

“We want to create great IPs that last 100 years and that need humans,” Nayak said.

Instead, Pocket FM has focused on developing AI tools that support its creative workflow. Meanwhile, AI head Vasu Sharma, a former Meta and Tesla scientist, said the company has trained proprietary models for creative writing, text-to-speech and other production tasks.

The startup has also used years of production data and listener engagement signals to train these models. As a result, Pocket FM can better understand audience preferences while helping creators produce stories more efficiently.

Moreover, cost efficiency has become a major factor behind Pocket FM’s rapid adoption of AI. Nayak said AI has reduced the company’s content production costs by about 80x. Previously, the company needed around a year to produce 100 hours of content, whereas it can now create the same volume in just one day.

At the same time, AI has significantly increased Pocket FM’s content output. The company’s more than 550,000 creators now produce approximately 2.5 million hours of AI-powered content each year.

Two years ago, Pocket FM’s entire catalog contained around 100,000 hours of content. Since then, the company has expanded its library to more than 770,000 audio series.

Furthermore, the larger content library has helped Pocket FM strengthen listener retention. Nayak said the platform’s 12-month revenue retention rate has increased to 76% from 44% two years ago.

According to Nayak, the improvement partly reflects Pocket FM’s ability to offer a wider selection of stories that cater to different listener preferences.

Pocket FM reported an annualized revenue run rate of approximately $250 million a year ago. Subsequently, the figure increased to $430 million in April before reaching $500 million now. Nayak explained that Pocket FM calculates its annualized revenue run rate by multiplying monthly revenue by 12 rather than relying on contracted recurring revenue.

The company has achieved this growth while expanding its AI-driven content operations and entering new international markets, including the U.K., Germany, and France. In addition, Pocket FM launched user-generated content in the U.S.

The platform has also produced several high-earning titles. Pocket FM said 96 titles have generated more than $1 million in revenue each, while 13 titles have surpassed $10 million.

Pocket FM initially focused on India but now reaches more than 250 million listeners across over 20 countries. Meanwhile, the U.S. has become its largest market after growing by around 70% over the past year and now contributes approximately 70% of the company’s annualized revenue run rate.

Pocket FM generates about $85 million of its annualized revenue from advertising. Meanwhile, users contribute roughly $415 million by paying to unlock individual episodes.

Beyond audio, Pocket Entertainment, Pocket FM’s parent company, is now expanding its AI-powered entertainment strategy into other formats. Its three-month-old microdrama app, Pocket Saga, has already reached an annualized revenue run rate of approximately $15 million, Nayak said.

Currently, Pocket Saga operates only in the U.S., and the company produces all of its content using AI. In contrast, Pocket FM continues to involve human creators in the story development process.

Pocket Entertainment also uses successful Pocket FM audio stories as the foundation for AI-generated videos on Pocket Saga. As a result, the company can adapt existing intellectual property into video content without relying on traditional live-action production.

Looking ahead, Pocket Entertainment plans to expand beyond audio and microdramas by entering at least two additional entertainment formats over the next five years. The company also plans to adapt successful stories from its platforms into books, television shows, and movies through licensing partnerships.

Meanwhile, Bengaluru- and Culver City, California-based Pocket Entertainment is holding discussions with investors to raise fresh capital. A recent report indicated that the company was seeking between $100 million and $120 million at a valuation of approximately $2 billion.

Nayak did not deny the fundraising discussions but said Pocket Entertainment does not currently face immediate pressure to raise capital. Although he declined to disclose the potential fundraising amount or valuation, he said the company would primarily use any new funding to strengthen its AI capabilities and develop additional entertainment formats.

At the same time, Pocket Entertainment said it remains profitable and generates positive cash flow on an adjusted basis. However, the company has not disclosed its profit, cash flow, or margins.

Despite its strong growth, Pocket Entertainment does not plan to pursue a public listing within the next 24 months. Nayak said the company remains open to eventually listing in either India or the U.S.

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