Quick commerce startup KiranaPro has successfully raised seed funding, with participation from leading early-stage venture capital firms such as Turbostart, Unpopular Ventures, Blume Founders Fund, and Snow Leopard Ventures. Several prominent angel investors also contributed to the funding round. The capital raised will fuel the company’s growth initiatives and further its mission of transforming the quick commerce landscape.

Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Deepak Ravindran, Co-Founder and CEO of KiranaPro, highlighted the company’s focus on delivering a seamless consumer experience through its innovative app. “With this fundraise, our focus is to build a beautiful consumer app. Our app is already live, but we haven’t announced it on the app stores yet. We are testing it with around 7,000 users in Bangalore, and the response has been promising,” he stated.

The startup has leveraged partnerships within the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) ecosystem to streamline operations. “We have onboarded numerous partners and logistics enablers, including Ola. With these partnerships in place, our primary task is to refine the consumer-facing aspects of our app,” Ravindran added.

Unlike traditional quick commerce companies relying on dark stores, KiranaPro partners with neighbourhood kirana stores to fulfil orders. “Kirana stores are here to stay. The challenge lies in technology adoption. With advancements in AI and smartphones, we are empowering these stores to embrace mobile apps and compete effectively in the quick commerce race,” said Ravindran.

While acknowledging the competitive landscape of quick commerce, Ravindran believes KiranaPro’s approach sets it apart. “Quick commerce is just an enabler for us. More than that, we are an AI-driven platform introducing India’s first voice-enabled, cart-based system,” he explained.

In a separate development, British International Investment (BII) has announced new commitments totalling $33.5 million to bolster India’s electric vehicle (EV) sector. The investment is distributed among three companies: Everest Fleet and TI Clean Mobility will each receive $15 million, while Vecmocon is set to secure a $3.5 million equity investment.

This funding round is part of BII’s broader pledge to invest $1 billion in climate-mitigation initiatives and green technology innovations in India from 2022 to 2026. To date, BII has deployed approximately $600 million of this commitment, with $350 million allocated specifically to the e-mobility sector.

Abhinav Sinha, Managing Director of BII, highlighted the organization’s focus on EVs as a pivotal area within their climate-linked investments. “Historically, a significant portion of our investments has gone into the renewables space. However, the e-mobility sector is now a major focus. So far, we’ve invested close to $350 million in this area and plan to do more over the next two years,” Sinha said.

BII’s commitment to India’s EV sector is evident in its past investments, including its partnership with Mahindra Electric. The recently launched Mahindra EV is a testament to BII’s strategic role in fostering innovation and development across the value chain, he said.

Additionally, Ramees Ali, CEO of Interval, outlined the company’s strategy to achieve a $25 million valuation within the next two years. Similarly, Prashant Sachan, Founder and CEO of AppsForBharat, discussed the promising growth potential of faith-tech startups. The sector has witnessed a remarkable surge in funding, skyrocketing from $4.3 million in 2023 to $50.7 million in 2024.

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