Vahan.ai Raises $10M in Series B Funding Led by Khosla Ventures to Transform Blue-Collar Recruitment in India
- ByStartupStory | September 19, 2024
Bengaluru-based AI-powered recruitment platform Vahan.ai, which focuses on India’s 300 million blue-collar workforce, has raised $10 million in a Series B funding round led by Khosla Ventures. The round saw participation from Y Combinator, Gaingels, a US-based venture capital firm, and Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder of Paytm.
The startup plans to utilize the new funds to expand into industries such as manufacturing and retail, while also investing in enhancing its AI technology. Vahan’s AI recruiter currently conducts interviews in English and Hindi, with plans to include eight major Indian languages and various dialects within the next year.
Founded in 2016, Vahan.ai has made significant strides in the blue-collar job recruitment space, placing over 500,000 workers in more than 480 cities with leading companies like Zomato, Swiggy, Flipkart, Zepto, Blinkit, Amazon, Rapido, and Uber.
“We have come a long way from providing 600 jobs a month during the pandemic to 25,000 jobs a month now. With our impact growing multi-fold, we are excited to drive positive change and help the youth of Bharat find employment,” said Madhav Krishna, Founder and CEO of Vahan.ai. “This funding will enable us to further leverage AI, to provide these workers with unprecedented growth opportunities and elevate their professional journeys. Over time, we want to help over a billion people find livelihood.”
Vinod Khosla, Founder of Khosla Ventures, praised the company’s impact-driven use of AI, saying, “Vahan.ai has consistently demonstrated a commitment to leveraging AI in a way that goes beyond mere technology—it’s about creating real-world impact. As an early supporter, I’ve seen firsthand how their innovative approach is redefining recruitment for the blue-collar workforce in India.”