NEW DELHI – Companion Labs, a pioneering consumer AI startup, has successfully raised $2.5 million in seed funding. The round was led by Peak XV’s Surge, with significant participation from All in Capital, UntitledVC, DeVC, and several prominent angel investors.
This funding follows the company’s high-profile appearance at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. At the summit’s Impact AI PitchFest, Companion Labs emerged as a standout, spotlighting the massive potential of AI-native products tailored for India’s diverse digital landscape.
AI as a Creative Medium for Bharat
Unlike many startups that view AI solely as a productivity tool, Companion Labs is redefining it as a creative medium. The company builds immersive, character-driven narratives that allow users to explore alternate lives and careers.
These experiences are meticulously crafted to reflect the social and cultural nuances of Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 cities. By focusing on personal ambition and local context, the platform offers a deeply resonant form of digital storytelling.
Breaking the Language Barrier in AI
A core pillar of Companion Labs’ strategy is its vernacular-first approach. The founders recognized that global AI platforms often carry a Western tone that fails to connect with Indian audiences.
To bridge this gap, the company is developing narratives in several Indian languages, including:Punjabi,Marathi,Bengali,Tamil and Telugu,Gujarati
This focus caters to a young, aspirational population where entertainment is traditionally the primary driver for adopting new technology.
Visionary Leadership Behind the Venture
Founded by Akshay Jhanwar (formerly of Cred) and Ajit Pol (previously with Flipkart and Leap), Companion Labs combines expertise in gaming and consumer internet. Their shared insight is that India’s next AI wave must be culturally rooted.
“Our ambition is to build category-defining consumer AI experiences,” stated Co-founder Ajit Pol. “With AI, storytelling becomes interactive and personalized at scale.”
The seed capital will be utilized to accelerate product development and enhance AI capabilities. Ultimately, the team aims to establish a new standard for AI-native entertainment built specifically for India’s vernacular internet users.
