IAN leads bridge funding round in AI startup Flatpebble

Flatpebble, an artificial intelligence-driven cataloguing platform, has raised a bridge round of funding led by seed-stage investment platform Indian Angel Network (IAN).

The startup, which is run by TechClove Technologies Pvt. Ltd, said in a statement that it will use the fresh capital to scale up its operations.

Hyderabad-based Flatpebble had previously received $600,000 from IAN. In all, the startup has raised $1 million in funding after taking into account the latest infusion.

Flatpebble enables firms across India to shoot and manage catalogues of their products. Its online marketplace offers pre-packaged services from photographers, videographers and stylists.

Founded in 2014 by Venkatesan Seshadri, Flatpebble said its proprietary, AI-driven catalogue lifecycle management system helps streamline the cataloguing process with accelerated delivery, consistent quality and predictable timelines at scale. The product is designed to boost sales through photos, videos and 360-degree shoots.

Flatpebble works with food-tech brands such as Swiggy, Zomato, Uber Eats and Foodpanda. Hospitality startups Nestaway, OYO are Treebo are also among its clients. Flatpebble claims to have a network of 6,000-plus verified professionals across more than 100 cities. 

The company was previously part of Microsoft Ventures and MAGIC Malaysia’s accelerator programme.

“Flatpebble has built a truly remarkable platform, focusing on a single, high-potential segment to build a successful and scalable business model," said IAN lead investor Subram Kapoor.

IAN is one of the most active angel networks in India. It has invested in more than 110 startups so far including Druva Software, Sapience Analytics, SP Robotics, Far Eye and Unboxd Ltd. 

IAN’s Rs 450-crore fund invests in sectors such as healthcare and medical devices, software-as-a-service, marketplaces, fintech, big data, artificial intelligence, and hardware.

Earlier in the day, IAN Fund said it had jointly led an investment of $5 million in local discovery and e-commerce platform Little Black Book (LBB).