Founded in 2018 by IIT alumni Lal Chand Bisu, Vinod Kumar Meena, and Vikas Goyal, Kuku runs a set of apps, including Kuku FM for audio storytelling, Guru for edutainment, and Kuku TV. The company said its apps have cumulatively crossed 350 million installs and offer more than 20,000 titles across seven languages.
The company is looking to strengthen its position in the fast-growing short video, audio, and mobile entertainment market. It has also recently moved into theatrical releases.
Dhoni said he backed the company because it is a differentiated entertainment platform with strong growth and a multilingual approach. “I chose to invest in Kuku and also be the ambassador for Kuku TV because the platform really stands out… I believe in their vision of building an AI-driven storytelling platform.”
“MS Dhoni is known for taking bold decisions that others might hesitate with. At Kuku, we are also taking bold bets,” cofounder and CEO Bisu said.
The company claims Kuku TV has crossed 180 million downloads and that its library now includes more than 150,000 episodes. It also said that Kuku TV was ranked number one globally in terms of growth in 2025, according to Sensor Tower data.
This comes months after Kuku closed an $85 million round led by Granite Asia (previously GGV Capital), which also saw participation from existing investors, including Vertex Growth Fund, Krafton, IFC, Paramark, Tribe Capital India, and Bitkraft. The round valued the startup at $550 million post-money, sources had told ET.