Former Swiggy and Zomato Leaders Launch AI Startup Profound, Raise $1.5 Million in Seed Funding

India's AI startup ecosystem continues to attract strong investor interest as companies develop products for the next generation of work. Joining this trend is Profound, a Bengaluru-based startup that has raised $1.5 million (around ₹13.84 crore) in a Seed funding round. The company is building an AI-powered professional representation platform designed to help individuals build stronger personal brands, discover better career opportunities and improve professional visibility in an increasingly AI-driven workplace.

Founded by Prashant Parashar and Anuj Rathi, Profound positions itself as a personal AI representative, similar to how actors have agents or athletes have managers. Instead of relying on traditional networking platforms, the startup aims to actively represent professionals by understanding their expertise, achievements and career goals before helping connect them with relevant opportunities and collaborators.

Funding Snapshot

Particulars	Details
Company	Profound.me
Industry	Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Funding Round	Seed
Amount Raised	$1.5 Million (₹13.84 Crore)
Headquarters	Bengaluru
Founders	Prashant Parashar, Anuj Rathi
Funding Announced	4 August 2026

Investors Backing Profound

The seed funding round saw participation from leading venture capital firms and several prominent startup founders and angel investors. The investor lineup reflects growing confidence in AI-powered platforms focused on professional networking and career development.

Investors in the Seed Round

Investor	Category
Stellaris Venture Partners	Venture Capital
3one4 Capital	Venture Capital
Sriharsha Majety (Swiggy)	Angel Investor
Nandan Reddy	Angel Investor
Harshil Mathur (Razorpay)	Angel Investor
Kunal Shah (CRED)	Angel Investor
Bhuvan Gupta (OfBusiness, Oxyzo)	Angel Investor
Pankaj Chaddah	Angel Investor

What Does Profound Do?

Profound is developing an AI platform that acts as a personal professional representative rather than a conventional networking platform. The platform begins by interacting with users to understand their career journey, skills, expertise and professional achievements. Using this information, it creates a detailed professional profile capable of presenting the individual to potential employers, collaborators and business opportunities.

Instead of waiting for professionals to search for jobs or connections, the platform aims to actively identify opportunities, strengthen personal branding and improve hiring outcomes. The company believes this approach can make professional networking more intelligent, personalised and proactive in the AI era.

Platform Highlights

Feature	Purpose
AI Professional Representation	Builds a personalised professional identity
Career Story Analysis	Understands skills and experience
Personal Brand Development	Improves professional visibility
Opportunity Discovery	Finds relevant career opportunities
Hiring Support	Helps employers identify suitable talent

Why Investors Are Interested

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing recruitment, professional networking and talent discovery. Companies are increasingly using AI to evaluate candidates, while professionals are looking for smarter ways to showcase their expertise. Profound aims to address both needs through an AI-powered platform capable of representing users beyond a traditional online profile.

The company's focus on AI-first professional representation differentiates it from conventional networking platforms by helping users continuously improve their visibility and connect with relevant opportunities. As businesses increasingly adopt AI across hiring and workforce management, platforms that enhance professional discovery could see growing demand.

Growth Drivers

Growth Factor	Potential Impact
AI-first workplace	Higher adoption potential
Personal AI representation	New category of career tools
Intelligent networking	Better professional matching
Growing AI investments	Supports future expansion
Strong investor backing	Enhances growth opportunities

What Lies Ahead for Profound?

The fresh capital will help Profound expand product development, strengthen its AI capabilities and scale operations as it builds its platform for professionals and recruiters. The company is expected to focus on enhancing user experience while expanding its reach within India's growing technology and startup ecosystem.

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape how professionals build careers and companies hire talent, Profound is positioning itself at the intersection of AI, professional branding and intelligent networking. Its progress over the coming years will depend on user adoption, product innovation and its ability to create measurable value for both professionals and employers.