AppsForBharat secures $20M in Series C round led by Susquehanna Asia VC
The funds will be used in over 20 temple towns in India, strengthen services and commerce verticals, establish fulfillment and logistics hubs, and build AI-led features to bolster user engagement.
the parent company behind the devotional platform Sri Mandir, has secured Rs 175 crore (approximately $20 million) in a Series C funding round led by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital, with continued support from existing investors Fundamentum, , and Peak XV Partners.
The funds will be used in over 20 temple towns in India, including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Ujjain, and Haridwar; to strengthen services and commerce verticals; and to establish fulfillment logistics and fulfillment infrastructure. AppsForBharat is also aiming to scale temple partnerships, improve digital infrastructure, and enhance AI capabilities for better user service.
Prashant Sachan, Founder & CEO, AppsForBharat, said, "We have grown by 2X in the last 6 months and have been able to create significant value to our temple partners and our devotees. We’ve not only brought ease, convenience and satisfaction to our devotees but more importantly enabled consistent, year-round revenue for priests, local vendors, and service providers in temple towns."
He continued, "These communities have traditionally depended on seasonal footfall, by digitising their services, we’re helping uplift livelihoods and bring stability to an otherwise informal and fragmented ecosystem. We’re grateful to our investors for their continued support as we work toward making Sri Mandir, a spiritual companion for millions across India and the diaspora."
Launched in 2020, Sri Mandir has seen significant growth, with over 4 crore downloads in just four years, AppsForBharat said in a statement. The app enables users to conduct online pujas, send offerings (chadhavas), receive prasad, and access spiritual content from home. In the past year alone, 12 lakh users have completed more than 52 lakh rituals across 70+ temples via the app, the company said.
Nearly 20% of the demand now comes from the Indian diaspora in the United States, the United Kingdom, UAE, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Sri Mandir has collaborated with both major and lesser-known temples to improve digital access to religious services. During the Mahakumbh Mela this year, it partnered with Vedashram Trust to enable over 3 lakh devotees to access guided rituals, participate in online services, and receive Triveni Sangam holy water at home. In smaller temples, digital participation has also grown, said the company.
In Uttarakhand’s Paithani village, the Rahu Temple recorded 40,000 participants across 50 online rituals. The Mayapati Hanuman Temple in Ujjain hosted over 15,000 devotees in more than 100 rituals, while Tirunelveli’s Elleluthu Perumal Temple saw over 20,000 digital puja participants, AppsForBharat said in the statement.
“Sri Mandir has demonstrated exceptional execution in building foundational infrastructure for digital devotional services, while simultaneously enabling temples to serve devotees across geographical boundaries better. What excites us most is their evolution from a service marketplace to a comprehensive platform that serves the complete spiritual journey," said Sai Araveti, Investment Advisor to Susquehanna Asia VC.
"We're thrilled to continue supporting AppsForBharat as they successfully bridge tradition with technology while preserving the sanctity of devotional practices,” he added.
Online puja bookings have contributed an additional 25–30% income to Sri Mandir's earnings, while driving demand for prasad and other ritual supplies among local vendors, said the company.
To further support this growth, AppsForBharat will establish logistics and fulfillment hubs and hire locally to manage operations across temple towns. The company is also developing AI tools to help users navigate the app, resolve queries, and provide real-time assistance during rituals and festivals.
Edited by Swetha Kannan