Misfits, a unique hobby-based offline community platform, has successfully raised Rs 5 crore in a seed funding round. This significant investment, led by Info Edge Ventures and Better Capital, marks a pivotal moment for the startup as it gears up to expand its mission of fostering thriving real-world communities.
Misfits Bridging the Connection Gap
Founded in 2022 by a quartet of IIT Kanpur graduates – Shashwat Narhatiyar, Chaitanya Dhawan, Saurabh Sharma, and Shaswat Kar – Misfits emerged from a deeply personal understanding of the limitations of virtual social media. As Co-founder and CEO Shashwat Narhatiyar puts it, the seed of this startup was sown five years ago during a college assignment, driven by the conviction that “virtual social media platforms do not necessarily create meaningful human connections.”
The founders observed a growing disconnect despite our hyper-connected online lives. This realization spurred them to build a platform where individuals could truly connect through shared interests, transcending the superficiality of online interactions. Misfits’ model is ingenious: it unites club members, club leaders, and venues to create dynamic, interest-based communities. This approach has resonated deeply, with Misfits organically growing to over 20,000 members across 40+ active clubs, hosting more than 3,000 social meetups in Delhi NCR to date.
Organic Growth, Authentic Connections
The success of this startup is a testament to the unmet demand for authentic offline engagement. Chaitanya Dhawan, CMO , elaborates on the organic nature of their growth: “Despite living closer than ever, people today feel increasingly disconnected. My co-founders and I experienced this firsthand, what started as casual meetups in our home in Gurgaon evolved into multiple thriving communities. Our growth is entirely organic, driven by people seeking genuine social connections.” This grass-roots approach has fostered a loyal and engaged user base, validating the core premise of Misfits.
Misfits Purpose of the Fresh Funding: Scaling Connections
With this fresh injection of capital, Misfits has ambitious plans. The primary focus is on enhancing its mobile platform, making it even easier for individuals to discover, join, create, and grow communities. Beyond technological advancements, the funding will fuel geographical expansion. Currently active in Gurugram, Misfits aims to broaden its reach across other regions of Delhi NCR within the next three months, with plans to expand into new cities across urban India eventually. This strategic expansion will bring the benefits of Misfits’ community-building model to a wider audience, fostering more real-world connections nationwide.
Investor Confidence in a Unique Solution
The investors’ confidence in Misfits underscores the immense potential of its unique model. Rishabh Katiyar, Principal at Info Edge Ventures, highlights the clear market need: “There is a clear need for such a platform, but this problem is still unsolved. The company has been witnessing strong organic traction and high customer NPS. Their unique model of enabling club leaders to run their own interest-based clubs is enabling Misfits to scale fast in a capital-efficient manner.” This recognition of Misfits’ capital-efficient and scalable approach bodes well for its future.
Vaibhav Domkundwar, CEO of Better Capital, enthusiastically likens Misfits to the “AirBnB of Human Connections,” expressing excitement about being early backers of a team that has built such an innovative solution around this vision. This analogy perfectly encapsulates the essence of Misfits – a platform that facilitates and democratizes access to genuine human interaction and shared experiences.
In a world increasingly dominated by screens, Misfits stands as a beacon of hope, reminding us of the enduring power of real-world connections. With this new funding, Misfits is poised to scale its impact, building a future where genuine communities thrive, one shared hobby at a time.
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