Kuku FM
10 known investors
Indian mobile-first entertainment company operating the Kuku FM audio app and the Kuku TV microdrama video platform.
Also known as Kuku Technologies Limited · Kuku Technologies Private Limited · Mebigo Labs Private Limited
Founders & leadership
Investors · 10
Also in the syndicate · 5
Valuation · disclosed
Disclosed eventsSource: SEC prospectus filings, and round valuations the company or its investors disclosed — follow each entry's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Kuku FM, operated by Kuku Technologies Limited (formerly Kuku Technologies Private Limited and Mebigo Labs Private Limited), is an Indian digital entertainment company offering serialised audio and video storytelling in Indian languages. Its original product is the Kuku FM app, a subscription audio platform carrying audiobooks, fiction series, podcasts, spirituality content and short learning material. The catalogue spans more than 100,000 hours across 14 languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi and English, and the majority of listening time is attributed to titles the company owns, produces or co-develops.
In February 2025 the company launched Kuku TV, a separate app for vertical, episodic short-form video (microdramas), after roughly three years of publishing video alongside audio in a single app. The company reports that Kuku TV became a heavily downloaded entertainment app in India in the months after launch. Kuku FM apps are distributed on Android and iOS, with offline downloads, premium content unlocking and multi-device use across up to four devices.
The company is registered in Mumbai (CIN U74999MH2018PLC312866) with a corporate office in Bengaluru. As of October 2025 it reported over 10 million paying subscribers and said it had operated near breakeven for the prior two years, with an expectation of profitability in FY26.
Founding story
Founded in 2018 by Lal Chand Bisu, Vinod Kumar Meena and Vikas Goyal as an audio-first app bringing long-form storytelling to Indian regional languages.
Business model
Consumer content platform monetised primarily through paid subscriptions to a premium catalogue, supplemented by microtransactions that let casual users access individual content. Indian subscription plans range across weekly, monthly, three-month and annual tiers, priced from about ₹19.99 to ₹2,399, with free-trial entry points.
Subscription-first recurring revenue from high-frequency users, combined with microtransactions (including in-app coins) that lower the entry barrier for first-time digital spenders.
Traction
Over 10 million paying subscribers and more than 100 million downloads reported as of October 2025, with the paid base growing about 4x since early 2024. Management reported operating near breakeven over the prior two years and projected profitability in FY26. Kuku TV was reported as a top-ranked app in India's App Store within four months of launch.
Latest developments
In October 2025 Kuku FM announced an $85 million round led by Granite Asia (formerly GGV Capital) with existing investors Vertex Growth Fund, Krafton, IFC, Paramark, Tribe Capital India and Bitkraft participating; $50 million was primary and the balance secondary, at a reported post-money valuation of $500-550 million. Funds are directed toward AI and data infrastructure, creator partnerships, hiring and additional language launches.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Positioned as a leading player in India's regional-language audio series market and an early mover in domestic short-form microdrama video, competing with Pocket FM in audio and with entrants such as Flick TV, Eloelo, Chai Shots, ReelSaga, as well as Amazon, ShareChat and Zee Entertainment in microdramas. The company estimates India's short-form audio and video market could reach roughly $2 billion annually within five years.
Emphasis on exclusive, in-house or co-developed IP (over 90% of listening time), deep localisation across 14 languages, an AI-assisted production pipeline that shortens turnaround time and cuts costs, and a dual audio-plus-microdrama product structure that reuses shared user insights, creator networks and distribution.
Technology
In-house AI tooling supports content creation across ideation, scripting, production, distribution and audience engagement, as well as multilingual translation and advertisement creation; management states roughly 70-80% of platform content production involves AI tools. The company describes an AI-enabled content studio that also supports testing and discovery, and plans to expand AI, ML and data infrastructure with new funding.
Go-to-market
Direct-to-consumer app distribution on Android and iOS with free trials converting into paid subscriptions, supported by creator partnerships, exclusive owned IP and language expansion.
Mobile-first Indian consumers, particularly regional-language audiences in Tier 2-4 cities who consume content in short daily windows such as commutes and chores.
Geography
Focused on India, with a registered office in Mumbai (WeWork, K Raheja Platinum, Marol Naka) and a corporate office in HSR Layout, Bengaluru; content is produced in 14 Indian languages plus English.
History
Started in 2018 as a regional-language audio app producing content first in Hindi and later in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. It raised $25 million in September 2023 in a round co-led by the Fundamentum Partnership and the International Finance Corporation. The paid user base grew from about 2 million in early 2024 to more than 10 million by late 2025. In February 2025 it spun out its video content into a standalone microdrama app, Kuku TV, and in October 2025 it closed an $85 million round led by Granite Asia.
Risks & controversies
Operates in an increasingly crowded microdrama and audio-series market where rivals including Pocket FM have launched comparable AI production tooling, and large platforms such as Amazon, ShareChat and Zee are entering the category; profitability was still prospective (targeted for FY26) at the time of the October 2025 raise.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 3
launches, deals, and filingsKuku FM said it closed an $85 million round led by Granite Asia (formerly GGV Capital) with participation from Vertex Growth Fund, Krafton, IFC, Paramark, Tribe Capital India and Bitkraft. Of the total, $50 million was primary capital and the remainder secondary. Economic Times reported a $550 million post-money valuation; 3one4 Capital described the Series C as valuing the company at about $500 million. Proceeds were earmarked for AI and data infrastructure, creator partnerships and hiring.
$85M source ↗
Kuku FM launched Kuku TV as a separate app for serialised vertical microdramas, after several years of hosting video alongside audio episodes.
$25M source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Kuku FMkukufm.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Kuku FM do?
- Indian mobile-first entertainment company operating the Kuku FM audio app and the Kuku TV microdrama video platform.
- Who founded Kuku FM?
- Kuku FM was founded by Vinod Kumar Meena, Lal Chand Bisu.
- Who are Kuku FM's investors?
- Kuku FM's investors include 3one4 Capital, Granite Asia, India Quotient, V3 Ventures, Vertex Ventures Sea Management Pte. Ltd..