Live entertainment discovery and ticketing platform thumpN raised $3.75 million (₹35.7 crore) in its pre-seed funding round, the company announced on July 6. The round included investments from Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s family office VSS Investco, Paytm CFO Madhur Deora, Hyperlink Brand Solutions’ founder VG Jairam, and Capitalmind cofounder Shray Chandra. Singers Arijit Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, and Badshah also joined the startup’s cap table, supporting the newly launched platform.
Founded by former Paytm Insider COO Varun Khare, thumpN aims to build an AI-powered discovery platform that helps users find live entertainment experiences tailored to their preferences. The platform features an AI assistant named ‘Shadow’ that recommends concerts, comedy shows, festivals, sports events, nightlife experiences, and other live activities through a conversational interface. Khare said the assistant combines AI with a network of curators across cities and genres to surface relevant recommendations, focusing on discovery rather than producing or competing with existing content creators.
The live entertainment sector in India is rapidly expanding, with platforms increasingly leveraging AI to enhance user engagement and personalization. thumpN’s approach to combining AI with human curation differentiates it from competitors by offering tailored recommendations without creating its own intellectual property. The involvement of prominent investors and artists signals confidence in the platform’s potential to grow within the ecosystem and support the broader live entertainment industry.
thumpN officially launched on July 6 and plans to use the fresh capital to develop its AI-powered discovery platform further and expand its presence across India’s live entertainment ecosystem, according to inc42.com.