Miko Raises INR 23 Cr In Pre-series B Round Led By Stride Ventures Existing investors Chiratae Ventures, YourNest Venture Capital and NASSCOM former chairman Keshav Murugesh also participated in the round

By Prabhjeet Bhatla

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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

Miko
Miko Co-founders

Mumbai-based startup Miko—founded in 2015 by IIT-Bombay graduates Sneh R. Vaswani, Prashant Iyengar and Chintan Raikar—has raised INR 23 crore in a pre-series B round led by Stride Ventures.

Existing investors Chiratae Ventures, YourNest Venture Capital and NASSCOM former chairman Keshav Murugesh also participated in the round.

The trio founded Emotix which focuses on creating emotionally intelligent solutions and its products leverage proprietary and state of the art artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and Internet-of-Things.

Launch Of Miko 2

After the success of their first generation of Miko, the robotics startup developed Miko 2—a puppy-sized companion robot for children. It uses AI and voice-recognition technology to see, hear, sense, express, talk and recognize faces. The widget tackles a multifaceted need-gap of education, technology, entertainment and hence is an enabler in effective parenting.

"Our growth journey till Miko 2 was about creating a product that meets the needs of today's parents who seek a positive and trusted gateway of technology. Miko 2 has now evolved into a powerful content subscription platform with global content alliances," said Vaswani, co-founder and chief executive officer, Miko, in a statement. "We are on track to surpass the 100,000 user mark in the coming quarters with Miko 2 hosting hundreds of applications and use cases. It's very encouraging for the entire Miko team to build a global consumer technology brand out of India. In our journey, we are very pleased to partner with Stride Ventures and are looking forward towards a long-term relationship."

"At Stride, it is our mission to make the credit ecosystem more accessible to startups. The investment in Miko represents Stride's commitment to enabling frontier technologies that have the potential to disrupt the status quo. We are proud to be associated with a company that is revolutionizing pedagogy through interactive IoT," added Ishpreet Gandhi, founder and managing partner, Stride Ventures.

Wide-ranging footmark

After the US expansion of Miko, it has now scaled its user base in more than 90 countries. The company saw over 20 per cent month-on-month growth in engagement during the pandemic surpassing 70 million interactions on its platform. The establishment also observed an instant boost in demand as parents are hunting for an alternative for lesser screen-time for their kids.

While Miko is one of the only Indian-made social robots, there have been other such bots in the market for far longer. They come in the shape of pet dogs or cats, like Sony's Aibo, or MarsCat by Shenzhen-based Elephant Robotics.

Prabhjeet Bhatla

Former Staff

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Science & Technology

How AI Can Free Up Your Time For Less Busywork and More Innovation

If there's one trait every founder needs, it's a willingness to experiment. Today, experimentation is easier and more accessible than ever thanks to AI.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs with the Lowest Risk of Being Replaced By AI: 'Safest Jobs Right Now'

A new report from career resources platform Resume Genius finds the top 10 AI-proof careers expected to see the most growth within the next decade.

Science & Technology

How I Went From Side Hustle to 7 Figures Using These 4 AI Tools (No Tech Skills Needed)

Scale faster, work less and grow a 7-figure business — no team needed.

News and Trends

India Accelerator Launches Two Flagship Programs to Build Future Startup Leaders

These flagship programs are tailored to cultivate entrepreneurial and venture capital talent—nurturing the builders, operators, and investors who will shape the next wave of Indian innovation.

Growing a Business

Why Your Old Marketing Tactics Are Killing Your Growth in 2025

Using marketing tactics from a couple of years ago doesn't just put you behind — it makes you disappear.