Audio content platform Kuku FM has successfully raised $25 million in Series C funding, with Nandan Nilekani's Fundamentum Partnership and the Intern
Audio content platform Kuku FM has successfully raised $25 million in Series C funding, with Nandan Nilekani’s Fundamentum Partnership and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) jointly leading the investment round. This funding highlights the growing interest of investors in the digital audio content sector.
This latest investment follows Kuku FM’s previous funding round of approximately $21.9 million, primarily led by Fundamentum Partnership, which occurred roughly a year ago. The company has garnered notable investments from firms such as Google, Paramark, Krafton, 3one4 Capital, V Cube Ventures, India Quotient, and FounderBank Capital. To date, the startup has amassed a total of approximately $72 million in funding.
Kuku FM intends to use these funds to further strengthen its content ecosystem, expand the range of content available in various Indian languages, and make significant investments in technology.
Wendy Werner, IFC’s India Country Head, noted, “India’s creative industries have the potential to reach diverse populations and unlock income opportunities at scale. Our partnership with Kuku FM aligns with our shared gender and inclusion priorities and aims to empower underrepresented voices, especially those of women, fostering upward mobility and sustainable economic growth.”
Prateek Jain, Principal at Fundamentum Partnership, emphasized that Kuku FM has carved out a “niche category that caters to the unique and rapidly evolving demands of the new digital natives of India.”
Founded in 2018 by Lal Chand Bisu, Vinod Meena, and Vikas Goyal, Kuku FM provides content creation tools to its users, enabling them to create, develop, and share content. Currently, the platform boasts a user base of more than 30,000 creators and over 2.5 million active paid subscribers.
Kuku FM offers a diverse range of content, with over 150,000 hours available in seven Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. Much of this content is exclusive to the platform and spans various genres, including fiction and non-fiction audiobooks, personal finance, self-help education titles, entertainment, news, mythology, spirituality, learning, and inspirational content, among others.
Co-founder Lal Chand Bisu expressed the company’s focus on building a business model for the Bharat 2.0 segment and creating a sustainable business model with a clear path to profitability. He also welcomed the valuable insights and support from the Fundamentum team and looked forward to leveraging IFC’s experience to scale up Kuku FM’s business.
Co-founder Vinod Kumar Meena reaffirmed the company’s commitment to providing “sustainable livelihood opportunities” for creators in India and aims to build a network of creators that reflects its diverse listener community.
It’s worth noting that rival Pocket FM also secured $65 million in Series C funding in March 2022, with Goodwater Capital, South Korean internet giant Naver, and existing investor Tanglin Venture Partners as the lead investors.
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