| | MARCH 20228IN FOCUSVirtual spiritual platform Vama secures $750,000 in fundingBY CEO INSIGHTS TEAMVama, a virtual spiritual platform, has raised $750,000 in a seed funding round co-led by Huddle & 7Square Ventures. The round also saw participation from other prolific leaders and startup veterans including Kunal Shah, founder of CRED, and Varun Alagh, cofounder and CEO of Mamaearth.The fresh capital will be used to bolster product development, introduce new service verticals, and acquire new talent. With the latest round funding, the startup has so far raised a total of $1 million in funding.Manu Jain, cofounder of Vama, said, "The demand for e-pujas and online mandir darshans is here to stay, as more Indians realise the benefits of and embrace digital services. During the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, our platform saw a huge influx of devotees from all age groups and geographies."Himanshu Semwal, cofounder of Vama, said, "The emphasis is on converting the offline mandir ecosystem to digital via content-driven products that are engaging, empowering, and habit-forming. While the category appeals to a broader audience, two-thirds of our first-time users have been Gen-Z."Founded in late 2020 by Jain, Semwal and Acharya Dev, Vama is a one-stop virtual platform thatprovides easy access to e-pujas, e-darshans, and astrology services to devotees from across India and the world. The app is only available on Android devices as of now. THE DEMAND FOR E-PUJAS AND ONLINE MANDIR DARSHANS IS HERE TO STAY, AS MORE INDIANS REALISE THE BENEFITS OF AND EMBRACE DIGITAL SERVICES. DURING THE PANDEMIC AND SUBSEQUENT LOCKDOWNS, OUR PLATFORM SAW A HUGE INFLUX OF DEVOTEES FROM ALL AGE GROUPS AND GEOGRAPHIES
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