Get All Access for $5/mo

Cityflo Raises INR 57 Cr In Series A Round Led By Lightbox Ventures The startup will utilize the fresh capital to scale its operations in Mumbai

By Debarghya Sil

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Cityflo
Jerin Venad, Co founder, Cityflo

Mumbai-based Cityflo, an app-based bus service provider for corporate professionals, on Wednesday announced that it has raised INR 57 crores in Series A round led by Lightbox Ventures. India Quotient, which had invested a seed amount of INR 3 crore into Cityflo last year, also participated in the round along with other angel investors.

The 2015-founded startup will utilize the fresh capital to enhance its offerings beyond industry standards, expand services on the current and new routes and strengthen its position as a daily commute brand for the city's working professionals. The startup also claims to upskill drivers with regard to customer service etiquette, soft skills and grooming, among other aspects. They will also be launching a facility soon where bus drivers can park their buses at the end of the day, rest and recuperate.

Commenting on the development, Jerin Venad, co-founder, Cityflo, said, "Cityflo was founded with the vision of solving the problem of long and stressful office commutes for professionals in our cities. Our goal was to offer a commute option that is convenient, comfortable, and seamless. This means passengers can catch up on their work, sleep, or a Netflix series that was left in the middle. The pandemic has further underscored how essential it is to bring this kind of an offering to people. We plan to invest the proceeds from our Series A funding to upgrade our operations, increase our presence across heavy traffic routes in Mumbai and grow Cityflo into a go-to brand for office commute."

The startup founded by Venad and his friends from IIT-Bombay provides a commute through Mumbai traffic. The startup currently connects residential areas in Mumbai like the Western suburbs, Navi Mumbai and Thane, to major commercial hubs in the city. It has also expanded its operation to Lower Parel, Andheri, BKC and Colaba.

Commenting on the investment, Siddharth Talwar, partner, Lightbox Ventures, said, "The public transport system in India is broken and overstressed. For those who drive their cars to work, the problem is compounded by traffic and long travel time. The pandemic has made the situation more delicate with heightened apprehensions around safety, hygiene, and sanitisation. This segment therefore has the potential to scale up and become the next big thing. Cityflo holds a lot of promise as a brand for the working professionals who fight traffic for hours on end every day and incur costs in terms of time."

The startup currently partners with bus operators and is now working with a total of 160 buses and provides dedicated employee transport to essential service companies in the post-pandemic environment.

Debarghya Sil

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Correspondent

News and Trends

"45% of All Ongoing Hydropower Projects in India are Ours": Patel Engineering

Patel Engineering reported a turnover of INR 4,400 crore in the last fiscal year, with a projected 10 per cent growth for the current year.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Science & Technology

5 Rule-Bending AI Hacks to Make Your Mornings More Productive and Profitable

By 2025, AI will transform productivity by streamlining workflows and cutting costs. Major companies like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI are leading the way, advancing AI into "Phase 3," where tools act as digital assistants. Discover 5 AI hacks to boost efficiency and redefine your daily routine.

Marketing

5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Giving a Presentation

Are you tired of enduring dull presentations? Over the years, I have compiled a list of common presentation mistakes and how to avoid them. Here are my top five tips.

Leadership

Should I Stay or Should I Go? 8 Key Points to Navigate the Founder's Dilemma

Here are eight key signs that help founders determine whether to persevere or let go.

Business News

Former Steve Jobs Intern Says This Is How He Would Have Approached AI

The former intern is now the CEO of AI and data company DataStax.