Vama, a virtual spiritual platform, has closed its $1.25 million seed round after raising $500,000 in funding from Filipino investor-entrepreneur Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng.
The top-up round also saw participation from The Fund, a US-based pre-seed fund made up of over 500 founders and operators. 7Square Ventures, Supermorpheus and Harit Nagpal, Vama’s existing investors, also participated in this round.
Speaking on the extended seed funding, VAMA’s Co-founder, Manu Jain, said, “We are happy to close our seed round at $1.25 Million. Our focus will be on expanding our workforce and technological expertise, with an aim to provide unparalleled digital experience to devotees across the world.”
“With more devotees shifting to the online medium for their religious requirements, we aim to capitalise on the 100x growth potential of virtual footfalls. With our upcoming features, such as live streaming of aartis & pujas, we plan to leverage the power of Social Live Commerce to amplify our value proposition,” Manu said.
Founded in 2020 by Acharya Dev, Himanshu Semwal, and Manu Jain, VAMA is a one-stop virtual platform that provides easy access to e-pujas, e-darshans, and astrology services, to devotees from across India.
The startup plans to use the raised capital for expanding its service portfolio as well as geographical expansion to international markets such as West Asia, the US, and Canada. Vama had earlier raised $750,000 in March this year as part of its seed round.
Vama said it aims to bring the country’s most iconic temples’ services to the online medium, with a mission to make them easily accessible for devotees from all over the country.
The Startup’s emphasis is on converting the offline Mandir ecosystem to digital via content-driven products that are engaging, empowering, and habit-forming.
Commenting on The Fund’s investment in VAMA, its India Partner, Vir Kashyap said, “We recognize the incredible richness of Indian culture and believe VAMA offers a unique new way to extend spirituality across the sub-continent and beyond. As a group of operators and investors with deep experience in India, we know what a large role faith and religion play in the lives of over a billion people around the world and are excited to partner with VAMA on their journey.”
Source @Indianstartupnews
