Funding News
MeMeraki Raises Investment from Suzuki-Backed Next Bharat Ventures to Scale India’s Artisan Economy
MeMeraki, a culture-tech platform focused on traditional arts and crafts, has raised an undisclosed institutional investment from Next Bharat Ventures, the impact investment arm backed by Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan. The funding marks a significant milestone in MeMeraki’s journey to scale technology-led market access for India’s artisan economy.
The investment will fuel MeMeraki’s next phase of growth, with a focus on strengthening its technology platform, expanding distribution across digital and physical retail channels, and deepening enterprise and institutional partnerships.
Scaling Technology for Artisan-Led Growth
Founded in 2019, MeMeraki operates a differentiated culture-tech model that integrates heritage research, digital storytelling, curated commerce, and enterprise cultural projects. The platform works directly with hundreds of master artisans across India, representing over 300 traditional art forms, and serves audiences in more than 40 countries.
The fresh capital will be deployed to enhance MeMeraki’s technology stack, improve customer experience, and build supply-chain readiness to support consistent growth. The company also plans to expand its team across design, technology, partnerships, and operations.
Alongside platform upgrades, MeMeraki will deepen engagement with artisan communities through structured onboarding, design support, and research-led content creation. These initiatives aim to create repeatable revenue streams and ensure long-term income stability for traditional artists.
Bridging Culture and Enterprise
In addition to its direct-to-consumer marketplace, MeMeraki has built a strong enterprise vertical, delivering large-scale art installations, murals, cultural campaigns, and advisory projects for corporates and public institutions. Over the past five years, this segment has emerged as a key growth driver.
MeMeraki has executed projects for organisations including GMR Hyderabad Airport, the Ministry of Culture, Google, Hyundai, and Adobe, as well as international clients in Hong Kong and Singapore. This ability to translate deeply local craftsmanship into enterprise-grade execution has been central to the company’s appeal to institutional investors.
Commenting on the investment, Yosha Gupta, Founder and CEO of MeMeraki, said the funding would help scale systems that allow traditional artists to participate meaningfully in modern markets. “Next Bharat Ventures brings a long-term perspective and a deep understanding of grassroots economies. We are aligned on building income stability for artisans while meeting global quality and execution standards,” she said.
View this post on Instagram
Vipul Nath Jindal, Managing Director and Head of Next Bharat Ventures, highlighted MeMeraki’s balance of cultural authenticity and operational rigour. He noted that the platform’s repeatable enterprise model creates formal market access for informal talent, aligning strongly with the fund’s impact-driven investment thesis.
Flipkart signs MoU with Bengal govt to support artisans, weavers, handicraft makers
Aiming for Sustainable Scale
To date, MeMeraki has enabled over ₹7 crore in new income for artisans, delivering average income uplifts of 20–30 percent. With backing from IIMA Ventures, AIC Banasthali, and prominent angel investors, the company is now targeting a ₹100 crore-plus business over the next four to five years.
As MeMeraki enters its next growth phase, the investment signals growing confidence that culturally rooted, technology-driven businesses can scale sustainably while preserving India’s artistic heritage.
