2007
Bengaluru (India)
Series J
VerSe Innovation is a leading Indian technology company specializing in digital content platforms, AI-driven solutions, and creator-led commerce. Founded in 2007, VerSe Innovation is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, and serves a vast user base primarily across the Indian subcontinent, with ambitions for global expansion. The company’s mission is to empower users by bridging the urban-rural digital divide and enabling digital empowerment through local language content and cutting-edge technology.
Dailyhunt: India’s largest local language news and content discovery platform, offering news, videos, and content in multiple Indian languages.
Josh: A leading short video platform catering to India’s diverse linguistic population, with over 100 million downloads and a rapidly growing creator ecosystem.
NexVerse.ai: An AI-powered programmatic AdTech engine optimizing advertising efficiency and brand outcomes at scale.
VerSe Collab: A full-stack influencer marketplace connecting brands with over 100,000 creators and celebrities, streamlining influencer-led marketing.
VerSe Innovation’s unique value lies in its ability to deliver hyper-local, personalized content experiences at scale, powered by advanced AI and deep learning. Its platforms enable content consumption, creation, and monetization in users’ preferred languages, fostering digital inclusion and engagement. The company’s robust technology stack, data-driven insights, and commitment to innovation set it apart in the competitive digital media landscape.
VerSe Innovation operates a diversified business model, generating revenue through multiple channels:
Advertising: The core revenue driver, leveraging AI-powered programmatic adtech (NexVerse.ai) and performance marketing solutions (Valueleaf). The company delivers targeted advertisements to millions of users across its content platforms, optimizing ad placement and pricing for maximum ROI.
Subscription Services: Dailyhunt Premium and Magzter offer premium, ad-free content and exclusive magazines/news for a recurring fee, tapping into India’s growing digital readership.
Influencer Marketplace & Commerce: VerSe Collab connects brands with influencers for campaign collaborations, earning commissions. Josh’s live streaming and gifting features enable users to tip creators, generating commerce revenue.
Creator Economy: Platforms like Josh and Dream Call monetize through user engagement, virtual gifting, and brand partnerships, supporting a vibrant creator ecosystem.
B2C: Mass-market consumers, especially in tier 2/3 cities and rural India, seeking local language news, entertainment, and creator content.
B2B: Brands and advertisers leveraging VerSe’s platforms for targeted digital marketing, influencer campaigns, and performance advertising.
Enterprise: Publishers and content creators using VerSe’s technology for content distribution and monetization.
AI-Driven Innovation: Continuous investment in AI and machine learning to enhance personalization, content curation, and monetization.
Acquisitions: Strategic acquisitions like Magzter and Valueleaf to expand into subscriptions and strengthen the adtech stack.
Platform Diversification: Expanding into new content formats (audio, live, conversational AI) and commerce streams to capture emerging digital trends.
Market Expansion: Scaling user base across India’s linguistic landscape and exploring global opportunities.
VerSe Innovation differentiates itself through its deep localization, AI-driven recommendation engines, and a multi-pronged monetization approach that blends advertising, subscriptions, and commerce. This positions the company ahead of many competitors who either lack local language depth or have struggled to monetize at scale.
VerSe Innovation’s blend of technology, local market expertise, and diversified monetization makes it a compelling case study and investment opportunity in the rapidly evolving digital content and media landscape.
$2.01 Billion
16
$805 Million, Series J
as of April 5, 2022
$5 Billion
as of April 5, 2022
2.48
as of April 5, 2022
Sequoia Capital
and 3 more832
Sepalika
N/A
Date | Round Name | Amount | Valuation | Revenue | Revenue Multiple | Investors |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 5, 2022 | Series J | $805 Million | $5 Billion | $160 Million | 26.3x | Sofina, Sumeru Ventures |
January 21, 2022 | Series I | $244 Million | $4.3 Billion | $146 Million | 27.4x | Catamaran, Whitlow Partner Master |
May 7, 2021 | Series I | $450 Million | $1.1 Billion | $112 Million | - | Siguler Guff, The Carlyle Group, B Capital, Sofina, Trifecta Capital, Sixteenth Street Capital, BCAP |
November 9, 2020 | Series H | $227 Million | $836 Million | $83.9 Million | - | Glade Brook Capital, Alpha Wave Investors, B Capital, Sofina, Lupa Systems, Goldman Sachs, Sequoia Capital, Alpha Wave Global, Omidyar Network, Z47 |
April 6, 2020 | Series G | $63.4 Million | $598 Million | $48.7 Million | - | Lupa Systems, Goldman Sachs, Alpha Wave Investors, Advent International |
May 15, 2019 | Series F | $85 Million | $551 Million | $26.3 Million | 20.3x | Goldman Sachs, Advent International,Sofina, Stonebridge |
August 17, 2018 | Series E | $27 Million | $419 Million | $20.9 Million | - | Alpha Wave Global, Omidyar Network India, Sequoia Capital, Renu Sehgal Trust, Z47 |
September 14, 2016 | Series D | $45 Million | $319 Million | $16.3 Million | - | Sequoia Capital, Z47, Omidyar Network India, Alpha Wave Global, Sarin Family India |
January 29, 2015 | Series C | $40.4 Million | $298 Million | $5.7 Million | 48.0x | Alpha Wave Global, Sequoia Capital, Omidyar Network, Z47 |
September 18, 2014 | Series B | $14.7 Million | $133 Million | $5.4 Million | 21.9x | Sequoia Capital, Z47 |
March 18, 2014 | Series A | $6.5 Million | $95.3 Million | - | - | Omidyar Network India, Z47 |
February 25, 2009 | Seed | $937 K | $1.5 Million | - | - | OnMobile |