Kuku FM Secures $85 Million To Drive Premium Content and Celebrity Audio Shows

Kuku FM, the audio streaming platform, has raised $85 million (around ₹747 crore) in its Series C round, led by Granite Asia. The round also saw participation from Vertex Growth Fund, Krafton, IFC, Paramark Ventures, Tribe Capital India, and Bitkraft. 

As per the news reports, the deal values the company at roughly $500 million, up from about $185 million during its previous fundraise in 2023.

Use of Funds

The company plans to use the new capital to expand its library of premium content and produce new shows featuring known actors and television personalities. It will also boost its AI and data systems, hire across content and technology teams, and deepen partnerships with creators.

Company Overview

Founded in 2018 by Lal Chand Bisu, Vikas Goyal, and Vinod Meena, Kuku FM offers audiobooks, podcasts, and original audio series in multiple Indian languages. The platform has recorded more than 100 million app downloads and has around 10 million paid users. The company also launched Kuku TV earlier this year, focusing on short vertical video content or “microdramas.”

AI in Content Production

Kuku FM has built an in-house GenAI studio to support content creation. The system is for translation, scripting, ad generation, and sentiment analysis, helping the team speed up production and lower costs. The company has said that the technology has shortened the time taken from concept to final production.

Kuku FM Financial Performance

For FY24, Kuku FM reported ₹88 crore in operating revenue, an increase from ₹41.1 crore in FY23. Net loss reduced to ₹96 crore, compared to ₹116.5 crore the previous year.

The fundraiser comes as India’s audio and short-form content market continues to expand, driven by growing mobile usage and regional language consumption. Kuku FM competes with other players like Pocket FM and ShareChat, as investors show renewed interest in mobile-first storytelling platforms.

Read More: India Sees Strong IPO Fund-Raising Activity, Ranking 4th Globally in 2025!

Conclusion

With this round, Kuku FM plans to continue investing in AI-led content production and regional storytelling formats.

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