Oopar Club Secures INR 5 Million in Pre-Seed Funding Led by PedalStart to Tackle Urban Loneliness

• ByStartupStory     |    February 21, 2024

Bengaluru-based community-driven social networking and socialization-tech platform Oopar Club has raised ₹5 Million in its maiden pre-seed funding round led by startup community-builder PedalStart. The pre-seed round also witnessed participation from angel investor Ankitt Jain, Co-Founder, Paper Arizona. Prior to this, the startup had remained bootstrapped since its inception in 2022.

Oopar Club, established in 2022 and previously self-funded, aims to revolutionize socialization through its community-driven platform. The startup focuses on leveraging technology, gamification, and community engagement to combat urban loneliness prevalent among young and middle-aged professionals in tier 1 and tier 2 cities across India.

Sagar Agrawal, Pragya Srivastava, and Sourabh Akash, the Co-Founders of Oopar Club, expressed their enthusiasm about the pre-seed funding, highlighting their commitment to solving the challenge of urban isolation. They emphasized their dedication to creating a community-based ecosystem that fosters real friendships, socialization, and personal growth, all on a single platform.

The startup, having demonstrated a strong proof of concept, plans to utilize the newly-acquired capital to enhance its technology, expand its core team, and accelerate overall growth. With an ambitious goal of increasing paid community memberships by at least 10 times in the next year, Oopar Club aims to extend its offline operations to over 20 Indian cities.

PedalStart, the lead investor in the pre-seed round, expressed their admiration for Oopar Club’s innovative approach to tackling the loneliness epidemic. Manas Pal and Aditya Darolia, Co-Founders of PedalStart, pledged continued support to Oopar Club, acknowledging the founders’ vision and dedication to making a positive impact on the social lives of individuals.

Oopar Club’s Co-Founders also emphasized the pivotal role played by PedalStart as their accelerator, providing valuable mentorship and support in building and growing the business. They look forward to the ongoing association, guidance, and mentorship from PedalStart as they embark on further expansion.

In a statement, the Oopar Club Co-Founders highlighted the challenges posed by the trend of job-related migrations and demanding professional lives, which have contributed to increased loneliness and isolation among young Indians. The startup aims to counteract this by offering a range of activities through its flagship mobile app, available on both Android and iOS. The app encourages users to connect virtually over shared interests, rewarding them for fostering meaningful connections and engaging in healthy habits.

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