Mumbai-based mobile entertainment startup ReelSaga has secured $2.1 million (approximately INR 17.9 crore) in seed funding to redefine how stories are consumed on smartphones.
The round was led by Picus Capital, with participation from ITI Growth Opportunities Fund, Nazara Technologies, 8i Ventures, Waveform Ventures, Warmup Ventures, Bombay54, Bharat Founders Fund, and several angel investors.
With the fresh infusion of capital, ReelSaga plans to enhance app development and scale up the production of high-quality, localized storytelling that resonates across cultures.
Founded in 2024 by serial entrepreneurs Shubh Bansal, Shanu Vivek, and Ritesh Pandey—the trio behind used-car marketplace Truebil (later acquired by Spinny), ReelSaga is on a mission to introduce India’s first dedicated microdrama platform.
Focused on mobile-first audiences, the platform will deliver short-form, emotionally charged fiction episodes ranging between one to two minutes, designed to be consumed in quick, binge-worthy arcs of 50–100 episodes.
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“Drama doesn’t need to be 40 minutes long to move you,” said co-founder Shubh Bansal. “With users increasingly turning to short-form video, we see microdramas as a powerful new format for immersive entertainment.”
The startup is targeting a content revolution not only in India, but also in Southeast Asia and the Middle East—regions with a fast-growing appetite for mobile-first video entertainment.
Inspired by the microdrama boom in China, where over 5,000 such series are produced annually, ReelSaga is positioning itself at the forefront of this emerging trend by localizing narratives and using data science to personalize viewer experiences.
