Mumbai-based mobile entertainment startup ReelSaga has raised $2.1 million in seed funding (approximately INR 17.9 crore) to scale its microdrama platform across emerging markets, including the Middle East.
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.
Founded in 2024 by serial entrepreneurs Shubh Bansal, Shanu Vivek, and Ritesh Pandey, the team previously co-founded Truebil, an online used-car marketplace later acquired by Spinny.
ReelSaga now sets out to build India’s first platform dedicated to vertical, short-form dramas designed specifically for smartphones.
Each series consists of emotionally engaging episodes lasting 1–2 minutes, optimized for binge-watching in arcs of 50–100 episodes. “Drama doesn’t need to be 40 minutes long to move you,” said co-founder Shubh Bansal.
ReelSaga leverages data science and product innovation to customize viewer experiences and deliver highly localized narratives.
The company draws inspiration from China’s booming microdrama industry, where over 5,000 micro-series are produced annually and have surpassed traditional box office revenue.
With this funding, ReelSaga will enhance app development and accelerate high-quality, mobile-first content production, targeting users in India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East—regions where short-form video content is seeing explosive growth.
