Content commerce platform LehLah has raised Rs 12.5 crore in a seed funding round, led by Gruhas, the investment arm of Nikhil Kamath and Abhijeet Pai. LehLah’s platform helps creators to monetise their influence by sharing affiliate links for curated product recommendations from which users can purchase products.
Founded by Ashna Ruia, who belongs to the billionaire Ruia family- the founders of Essar Group, LehLah has partnered with major e-commerce platforms and D2C brands such as Libas and Foxtale. By driving sales and conversion for these brands, the startup has so far recorded a 46% month-on-month increase in gross merchandise value and has over 700,000 content pieces on its platform.
The fresh funds will be utilised for product development, increasing brand visibility, and expanding the team. “People don’t want to be sold to; they want recommendations from those they relate to. The future of commerce may belong to platforms that empower individuals to monetize their influence while making discovery and purchasing seamless,” Kamath said in a statement.
Gruhas is an investment venture focused on prop-tech, sustainability and consumer brands and has investments in more than 50 companies. It recently launched a Rs 300 crore fund in a joint venture with real estate major Brigade Group, to back startups focusing on real estate technology and sustainability.
Influencer-led, content-driven commerce is rapidly expanding in India, fueled by rising digital adoption and consumers’ increasing trust in recommendations from influencers. Major e-commerce platforms have also embraced this trend. For example, Myntra had launched “M-Live” in 2021, which is a live video streaming section on its app where influencers showcase products.
E-commerce unicorn Meesho also doubled down on its content commerce venture last month by launching a dedicated platform, Creator Club, to enable content creators to collaborate directly with sellers on Meesho’s platform and monetise their content. The company said its content commerce initiative has earlier reached over 14.5 million users in a year, encouraging them to launch a dedicated platform.
