Way2News Raises USD 14 Mn Series B Round Led by WestBridge Capital to Enhance Regional News Presence With the fresh proceeds, Way2News will focus on scaling operations, enhancing technology, and expanding its presence in the South Indian market.
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Hyderabad-based hyperlocal news platform Way2News announced that it has secured USD 14 million in a series B funding round, led by WestBridge Capital and supported by venture capitalist Sashi Reddi.
This new capital injection follows a USD 16.75 million series A round achieved in June 2022.
The latest funding will enable Way2News to further entrench its presence in South India, enhancing its operational scale, technology, and market reach.
Raju Vanapala, Founder and CEO of Way2News, said, "This investment is a step towards expanding our footprint into every household in South India, ensuring that all citizens can access timely and relevant news in their language. We focus on building an inclusive, dynamic, and engaging news experience for every Indian. With this funding, we aim to scale our platform further, bringing more communities into the fold."
Founded in 2015 by Raju Vanapala, Way2News offers short, engaging news stories from trusted sources in local languages. The platform's AI-driven and human-curated model caters to user preferences, delivering real-time news in eight languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, and Gujarati.
Way2News claims to have already garnered over 50 million downloads and is rapidly transforming the regional news landscape in India. Its notable impact is particularly evident in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, where it has achieved substantial penetration and user engagement, especially in the Telugu and Tamil markets.
Rishit Desai, Partner at WestBridge, added, "Over the last few years, Way2News has made remarkable strides in democratising access to local news across South India, effectively addressing a crucial gap in the market. Their rapid growth in the Telugu and Tamil markets is a testament to their vision and the strength of their model. We look forward to continuing our support for their vision to become the go-to platform for news, and we believe their unique approach will enable them to make significant inroads down south."
