Hyderabad-based content startup Chai Bisket has secured $5 million in a seed funding round led by InfoEdge Ventures and General Catalyst.
The round also saw participation from notable angel investors including actor Rana Daggubati, Swiggy co-founders Sri Harsha Majety and Nandan Reddy, redBus founder Phanindra Sama, Darwinbox co-founder Rohit Chennamaneni, PhysicsWallah’s Alakh Pandey and Prateek, the Rapido co-founders, and Virgio’s Amar Nagaram.
The fresh funds will be used to launch Chai Shots, a mobile-only microdrama OTT platform delivering two-minute fiction episodes.
Aimed at Gen Z and tier II–III users, Chai Shots will focus on premium, emotionally rich storytelling in regional languages. The platform is optimized for personal viewing and intends to release over 100 original shows within six months of launch.
Chai Bisket was established in 2015 by co-founders Sharath Chandra and Anurag Reddy. For the Chai Shots venture, the leadership team now includes Krishna Mohan Varma as co-founder and technology lead to drive product vision and scalability.
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The first release will launch in Telugu, followed by expansions into Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada. Unlike user-generated short-video platforms, Chai Shots is positioned as a tech-powered fiction platform focused on professional storytelling.
The startup enters a competitive landscape alongside emerging players like Flick TV (recently backed by Stellaris Venture Partners), Kuku TV, QuickTV, Reel Saga, and Reelies.
