New Delhi: Peak XV has announced investments in five early-stage AI startups at the Impact AI PitchFest, part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Together, these companies signal a shift in how AI is being built and deployed in India—moving beyond generic tools toward intelligent systems that guide
decisions, take action, and reduce friction across daily life and work.As AI adoption accelerates, a new generation of agent-driven products is emerging. Rather than functioning as passive assistants, these AI systems reason with users, offer contextual recommendations, and integrate directly into high-frequency workflows—from career discovery and hiring to online selling, workplace collaboration, and digital entertainment. This marks a more practical, outcome-oriented phase of AI adoption in India.
“India’s AI opportunity will not be defined by who builds the biggest models, but by who builds products that work at population scale,” said Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Peak XV. “With over 900 million Indians online, the real opportunity lies in solving real problems—helping people find jobs, grow incomes, and build businesses using AI. The companies we are backing reflect this shift toward impact-driven innovation designed for Indian users at scale.”
Across the portfolio, AI agents are embedded in critical moments—supporting career decisions, enabling income growth, enhancing workplace productivity, and delivering culturally resonant consumer experiences. These products are built not around abstract AI capabilities, but around trust, repeat engagement, and measurable outcomes.
The investments were unveiled on 17 February 2026 at Impact AI PitchFest, where founders presented to investors, operators, and ecosystem leaders.
About the Companies
Companion Labs
Companion Labs develops interactive, entertainment-led AI experiences tailored for India’s vernacular and culturally diverse audiences. Founded by Akshay Jhanwar and Ajit Pol, the company allows users to explore alternate lives, careers, and aspirations through AI-powered storytelling. Built in India for Indian audiences, Companion Labs reflects a broader movement toward locally contextualized consumer AI shaped by language, culture, and narrative.
Kello
Kello is building a career and hiring intelligence platform that helps individuals and organisations evaluate talent more effectively. By analysing real-world capability signals rather than relying solely on traditional markers like degrees or job titles, Kello enables enterprises to make more informed hiring decisions while helping professionals identify their strongest opportunities. The platform has already mapped over 32 million professionals and aims to map the next 100 million in 2026, positioning itself at the forefront of AI-driven workforce intelligence.
Memfold AI
Founded by Vinod Ganesan and Nischith Shadagopan, former Microsoft Research researchers and founding members of Sarvam, Memfold AI is creating AI-native workspaces that transform how knowledge work is done. Its flagship product, Almanac, unifies research and document creation, allowing AI agents to retain context, memory, and intent over time. By reimagining the workspace rather than layering chat onto legacy systems, Memfold represents a shift toward seamless human–AI collaboration designed in India for global users.
Round1
Round1 is an AI-native recruitment platform built on the premise that modern hiring is overly optimized for filtering rather than understanding candidates. Founded by Saumil Tripathi, Shreeyash Dharmadhikari, and Jainam Talsania, Round1 conducts over 500 AI-led interviews daily and reports a 90 percent qualification rate from first to second interview. By evaluating candidates through structured AI-driven conversations instead of résumé screening alone, Round1 aims to create a more meritocratic and efficient hiring process for high-growth companies.
Zoop
Zoop is an AI-powered live commerce marketplace that enables offline retailers, wholesalers, and brands to sell directly to buyers through live video. Founded by Abhishek Nevatia, Sanchi Virmani, and Raghav Dalela, Zoop builds scalable AI agents around sellers’ existing workflows—including voice-based product cataloguing, AI live coaching, and automated marketing and operations support. As live commerce becomes a defining format of digital trade globally, Zoop is helping India’s offline businesses participate more productively while operating in familiar ways.
From Tools to Trusted Infrastructure
Collectively, these investments highlight a broader transformation underway in India’s AI ecosystem. As foundational models become more accessible, competitive advantage is increasingly defined by application, integration, and trust. Agentic AI is evolving beyond novelty—it is becoming infrastructure for careers, commerce, collaboration, and everyday life.
Peak XV will work closely with each company as they scale their products, expand talent, and strengthen go-to-market efforts in the months ahead.
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