Namma Yatri Raises $11 Million in Pre-Series A Funding Round Backed by Google and Antler
Bengaluru, India — Namma Yatri, a community-driven mobility app based in India, has successfully raised $11 million (₹92 crore) in a pre-Series A funding round. The round was led by Blume Ventures and Antler, with participation from Google and other notable investors. This capital injection will be instrumental in driving the company’s growth and advancing its product development initiatives.
The funds will be allocated towards technological advancements, research and development (R&D), and product innovation. Namma Yatri plans to use these resources to empower drivers, integrate public transportation options within its platform, and enhance the overall customer experience.
Magizhan Selvan, Chief Product Officer, and Shan MS, Chief Growth Officer of Namma Yatri, emphasized the company’s commitment to a people-first approach in a joint statement: “With our people-first approach, our goal is to build empathetic products and tech that are 10x better.” They also highlighted the importance of collaboration with key stakeholders, expressing their ambition to create an impact akin to “UPI in India and Linux worldwide” by working alongside the “samaaj (community), sarkar (government), and bazaar (business).”
Investors in the funding round have expressed confidence in Namma Yatri’s vision for the future of mobility. Fady Abdel-Nour and Nitin Sharma, Partners at Antler, praised the company’s pioneering focus on digital public infrastructure (DPI) and its potential to create a more “inclusive, efficient, and sustainable” mobility landscape. They expressed enthusiasm in supporting Namma Yatri’s continued growth.
Founded in November 2022 by Juspay, a payments company, in collaboration with the BECKN Foundation, led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, and supported by the Bengaluru Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Union (ARDU), Namma Yatri has experienced rapid initial success. According to the company’s website, drivers have collectively earned ₹1.88 crore through 1.2 lakh trips facilitated by the platform.
With the new funding, Namma Yatri is poised to accelerate its mission of transforming urban mobility in India by leveraging technology and community engagement to create a more efficient and sustainable transportation ecosystem.
