Community-led mobility app Namma Yatri (known as Yatri Saathi in West Bengal) has raised $11 million (₹92 crore) in a pre-Series A funding round.
The round was led by Blume Ventures and Antler, with participation from Google and other investors.
The company said it will invest in technology, R&D, and product innovation to empower drivers, integrate public transport, and enhance customer experience.
Payments firm Juspay had spun off its ride-hailing subsidiary Namma Yatri into a separate entity, Moving Tech, in April. It is headed by Juspay’s chief growth officer Shan MS and chief product officer Magizhan Selvan.
“With our people-first approach, our goal is to build empathetic products and tech that are 10x better. By collaborating with samaaj (community), sarkar (government), and bazaar (business), we aspire to create an impact similar to UPI in India and Linux worldwide. This funding will enable us to innovate and grow further,” Selvan and Shan said in a joint statement.
“Namma Yatri’s focus on digital public infrastructure (DPI) is pioneering. They are building the mobility of the future — one that is inclusive, efficient, and sustainable. We are thrilled to support them,” said Fady Abdel-Nour and Nitin Sharma, Partners at Antler, in their joint statement.
Founded in November 2022, Namma Yatri was launched by Juspay in collaboration with Nandan Nilekani’s BECKN Foundation and supported by Bengaluru’s Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Union (ARDU).
The drivers’ earnings stand at ₹1.88 crore through 1.2 lakh trips on the platform, according to the firm’s website.
Namma Yatri debuted in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Tumakuru, and Kochi. In Kolkata, it was introduced as Yatri Saathi. Recently the company expanded its services to Chennai, where it also facilitates ‘metro-ticket’ bookings on its platform.