Turnip
Bengaluru, IN · 13 known investors
Turnip is a platform for creators to build and engage online communities through interactive activities, events, and real-time interaction with fans. It also offers free mobile game and event streaming in 1080p with custom overlays, thumbnails, and effects.
Also known as Turnip Media · Turnip Media Private Limited
Founders & leadership
Investors · 13
Also in the syndicate · 11
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Turnip is a Bengaluru-based mobile-first platform for gaming communities, operated by Turnip Media Private Limited. The app lets creators, streamers, student clubs and groups of friends form clubs and communities in which they can stream or record mobile gameplay, talk over voice and video, exchange text messages, photos, videos, music, stickers, GIFs and files up to 2GB, and host watch parties for YouTube videos, movies, music and sports clips. Voice rooms support more than 16 participants simultaneously and are designed to work on weak network connections at low latency.
Beyond chat and streaming, Turnip hosts live event rooms, contests, esports tournaments, masterclasses, fan events, talk shows and audio/radio sessions across interests including games, anime, books, movies, sports, music and technology, with cash prizes and giveaways in some contests. Creators can stream on external platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitch and integrate that gameplay into Turnip to engage their most active fans, and can add registrations, payments and slots to any room to run paid sessions. The product is built to support low-specification devices and slower internet connections, and is distributed as an Android app (gg.turnip.android) and an iPhone app.
Founding story
Turnip was founded in 2020 by Pooja Dubey and Aditya Sharma, described as avid gamers, and is headquartered in Bengaluru. Elevation Capital, which later co-led the Series A, has said it signed its first term sheet with the founders within three days of meeting them, before a product existed.
Business model
Turnip operates a consumer mobile app that is free to download with in-app purchases, and monetizes creator activity on the platform. Fans can support gamers by buying virtual items such as badges and stickers, paying one-time fees to access specific events, or setting up recurring payments; creators can also attach registrations, payments and limited slots to rooms in order to run paid masterclasses or paid watch parties. Turnip retains roughly 10% commission on such transactions, on top of the 30% taken by Apple and Google, and has said the fee may change based on usage and creator income.
Revenue comes from a commission of about 10% on in-app monetization, including fan tips and purchases of virtual items such as badges and stickers, one-time payments for event access, recurring subscriptions/payouts to creators, and paid rooms such as masterclasses and paid watch parties.
Traction
By January 2022 Turnip reported more than 5 million users, 45% of them outside India, spread across 58 countries, with users collectively spending more than a billion minutes on the platform during 2021. The Android app lists over 10 million downloads with about 66,400 reviews at a 2.2-star average, while the iPhone app shows 261 ratings at 3.3 stars. The company is listed with 11 to 20 employees.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Turnip describes itself as re-imagining gaming communities, empowering them to run, discover and join interactive experiences. It is presented as a mobile-first gaming community platform complementary to, rather than competing on distribution with, Twitch and YouTube, targeting the engagement and monetization layer for creators. Backers include Greenoaks, Elevation Capital, SEA Capital and Vibe Capital.
Turnip positions itself around deeper engagement and monetization for gamers rather than mass distribution, arguing that platforms such as Twitch and YouTube serve reach but not persistent creator-fan relationships. Its founder described gaming engagement and monetization as a whitespace, and its investors framed the product as converting passive viewers into an actively engaged community with revenue options spanning subscriptions, events and sponsorships. Technically, it emphasises support for low-specification handsets and slow connections, low-latency voice rooms for 16-plus participants, and integrations that let creators keep streaming on existing platforms while running their community on Turnip.
Technology
A mobile application for Android and iOS supporting in-app mobile gameplay live streaming, low-latency group voice chat for more than 16 participants tuned for weak networks, synchronized watch parties, text/media messaging with file sharing up to 2GB, and event rooms with registration and payment flows. Streamers link YouTube and/or Facebook accounts for login and for Turnip to manage streaming and chat on those channels, and the platform is engineered to run on low-specification devices and slower connections.
Go-to-market
Distribution is through consumer app stores (Google Play and the Apple App Store), with growth driven by creators and community operators inviting their friends, teammates, viewers and followers via shareable room links. Creators who already stream on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch can integrate those streams into Turnip, bringing their existing audiences into Turnip clubs and events.
Mobile gamers and gaming creators, streamers and esports community operators, plus their fans and followers; also non-gaming interest communities such as anime, music, sports and pop-culture groups, college and school clubs, and groups of friends and family.
Geography
Headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, with users in 58 countries as of January 2022; 45% of its more than 5 million users were outside India, with significant bases in Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, Southeast Asia, the United States and Europe. Post-Series A plans targeted deeper penetration in Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
History
The company, legally Turnip Media Private Limited, was founded in 2020 in Bengaluru and had been operating for about a year and a half at the time of its January 2022 Series A. Its privacy policy dates to October 2020, and early product coverage centred on mobile game live streaming with integrations to YouTube and Facebook. By early 2022 it reported more than 5 million users across 58 countries and over a billion user minutes in 2021, and said it was developing a community token and exploring NFT use cases. The apps have continued to receive releases, with iOS version 26.1.0 and a Google Play update dated January 2026.
Risks & controversies
Public app store feedback indicates reliability and feature-regression complaints: the Android listing carries a 2.2-star average across roughly 66,400 reviews, with users reporting audio capture problems for teammates and viewers after updates and failures connecting YouTube accounts for live streaming. Reviewers have also asked for camera-only streaming and audio input selection. The company relies on third-party platforms for login and streaming integrations (YouTube, Facebook) and on Apple and Google app stores, which take 30% of in-app payments.
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 · 2
launches, deals, and filingsFollowing its Series A, Turnip said it would deploy funds to deepen its footprint in Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and to hire across roles including product.
Turnip announced a $12.5 million Series A round to expand in India, Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, grow its team and explore web3 features including a community token and NFT use cases.
$12.5M source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Turnipturnip.gg · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Turnip do?
- Bengaluru-based mobile-first platform where gaming creators run communities, live streams, voice rooms and paid events.
- Who founded Turnip?
- Turnip was founded by Pooja Dubey, Aditya Sharma.
- Who are Turnip's investors?
- Turnip's investors include Better Capital, Vibe Capital.
- Where is Turnip headquartered?
- Turnip is headquartered in Bengaluru, IN.