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KRAFTON India Strengthens Investment Portfolio by Backing Hyperlocal Community App Leader Shuru

  • Thursday, May 22, 2025 11:44AM IST (6:14AM GMT)
 
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India:  KRAFTON India has announced its investment in Shuru, a fast-growing hyperlocal community app delivering local updates connecting users across India. The Series A funding round led by KRAFTON India also included participation from existing investor Omidyar Network India and Eximius Ventures.
Shuru provides general trending updates, local shop information, buy-sell listings, and classifieds, empowering local communities and serving over 2 million monthly active users in India.

Hyperlocal platforms have seen significant success in India and globally. The collaboration will enable KRAFTON India to engage with regional audiences, drive grassroots-level community connect, and broaden reach for its games across local markets in India. With KRAFTON India’s expertise and support, Shuru aims to extend high engagement games and features to its fast-growing userbase.

Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO, KRAFTON India, commented, “The hyperlocal digital ecosystem in India holds immense promise, and we see it as a vital driver of connectivity and community engagement. Shuru is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation in India. Shuru’s user-centric approach aligns with KRAFTON India's vision of providing tailored experiences for local users across the country. We are excited about the possibilities this partnership will unlock in reaching grassroots audiences.”

Mayank Bhangadia, CEO & Co-Founder – Shuru App, added, “Imagine an India where every village, town, and city is connected, empowered, and thriving. Shuru App is making this vision a reality. With 650,000+ locations on board and recently crossing 1 crore installations, we're creating a platform that will redefine the way Indians live, work, and interact. As we continue to grow, we're unlocking unprecedented opportunities for civic engagement, local updates, and business development - and we're just getting started. The partnership with KRAFTON India opens unparalleled opportunities for Shuru to innovate and scale. Their expertise in engaging diverse user bases, particularly in gaming and entertainment, complements our vision of building India’s leading hyperlocal platform. We look forward to leveraging this partnership to empower and resonate with users across India.”

Nihansh Bhat, Lead - Corporate Development, KRAFTON India, emphasized, “This investment is a natural extension of our strategy to partner with Indian startups and emerging ecosystems like hyperlocal platforms. By working closely with Shuru, we aim to enhance user experiences, amplify regional connect, and contribute meaningfully to the evolving Indian hyperlocal digital landscape.”

With about $200 million invested in Indian startups, the collaboration with Shuru is another milestone in KRAFTON India’s commitment to fostering India’s burgeoning startup ecosystem.


About KRAFTON, Inc.

Headquartered in South Korea, KRAFTON, Inc. is dedicated to discovering and publishing captivating games that offer fun and unique experiences. Established in 2007, KRAFTON is home to globally renowned developers that include PUBG STUDIOS, Striking Distance Studios, Unknown Worlds, VECTOR NORTH, Neon Giant, KRAFTON Montréal Studio, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, 5minlab, Dreamotion, ReLU Games, Flyway Games, Tango Gameworks and inZOI Studio. Each studio strives to continuously take on new challenges and leverage innovative technologies. Their goal is to win over more fans by broadening KRAFTON’s platforms and services. With a passionate and driven team across the globe, KRAFTON is a tech-forward company that possesses world-class capabilities and is set on expanding its business horizons to encompass multimedia entertainment and deep learning. For more information, visit www.krafton.com.

About KRAFTON India

In India, KRAFTON is responsible for premier mobile games, including BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI), which has surpassed 200 million downloads, Bullet Echo India, Road To Valor: Empires, and CookieRun India, among others. Committed to enhancing the start-up ecosystem in India, KRAFTON has invested over $200 million in several Indian startups across interactive entertainment, gaming, Esports, and technology, since 2021. KRAFTON actively supports India’s game development ecosystem through its KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI) while strengthening the Esports ecosystem with flagship events like the BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA SERIES (BGIS) and BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA PRO SERIES (BMPS). For more information, visit https://krafton.in/.

About Shuru

Shuru is a location-based social networking platform headquartered in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, designed to digitally empower communities by fostering local connections. With a vision to create a robust network of over 400 million users, Shuru aims to bridge the gap between citizens and their surroundings, enabling real-world change from the ground up. The platform allows users to share updates, support local businesses, and address civic issues, thereby building stronger communities through local connection and collaboration.

Founded by Mayank Bhangadia and Harsh Chhabra, Shuru leverages their extensive experience in community-driven platforms. Mayank, an IIT Delhi alumnus, is renowned for creating Roposo, a short video app that garnered 100 million users in India before its acquisition by InMobi’s Glance. Harsh, with over a decade of experience, led product development at Roposo and founded GoParento, a parenting community platform.

Shuru has attracted investment from prominent entities such as Omidyar Network India, Kunal Bahl, Rohit Bansal, Eximius Ventures, Shastra VC, and Pankaj Agarwal. The platform has successfully engaged over 10 million users across more than 600 cities and 8,000 sub-districts in India, making it a vital tool for local businesses, influencers, and citizens seeking to make a positive impact in their communities.

For more information, visit https://shuru.co.in.

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