
Vaaree Raises USD 4.6 Mn Led by Peer Capital to Scale AI-Powered Home Décor Platform
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Vaaree, a Bengaluru-based home decor platform, has raised USD 4.6 million in a funding round led by Peer Capital. The round also saw continued support from Surge, the accelerator programme by Peak XV Partners, as well as contributions from All India Capital, Sattva Ventures, and the Asian Paints family office.
The startup plans to allocate the new funds towards enhancing its artificial intelligence-powered app VibeCheck, expanding its fulfillment and brand verification network, and strengthening its reach in metropolitan and tier-II cities.
In November 2024, the home décor startup raised USD 4 million in seed funding from Surge.
Founded in February 2022 by Garima Luthra, Pranav Arora, and Varun Vohra, Vaaree offers a curated marketplace that features a wide selection of home and soft furnishings. Its product range includes kitchenware, bedding, bath accessories, and garden decor, all sourced directly from export-oriented factories. The platform focuses on delivering quality and authenticity while connecting consumers with locally made products.
Garima Luthra said, "We're building for the Indian home with speed, soul, and smarts. This fresh capital will be used in technology, operations, and brand expansion. We are also launching AI-powered styling with VibeCheck, enabling next-day deliveries through our FBV network, and deepening our brand presence across the country in metro and tier-2 cities."
Vaaree currently showcases nearly 80,000 products across 150 categories. The platform caters to various design preferences, allowing users to find everything from Bohemian to art deco styles in one trusted location.
Ankur Pahwa, partner at PeerCapital, added, "We've backed Vaaree from the very first cheque because they're not just building a home brand, they're building the rails for how India will shop for home in the future. As the USD 15 billion home furnishings and décor category comes online, Vaaree is setting the standard, and we're excited to double down on that vision."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
AI in Africa to Top $16.5B by 2030: Mastercard Explores Path for Continued Digital Transformation
Key insights from Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco demonstrate AI's potential to drive financial inclusion, job creation and innovation. Up to 230 million digital jobs projected in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030 – but infrastructure, regulation and local talent remain critical gaps. NAIROBI, Kenya, August 06, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mastercard has today released its latest whitepaper, Harnessing the transformative power of AI in Africa, a pan-African study of the continent's readiness, opportunity and roadmap for responsible artificial intelligence (AI) adoption. The whitepaper provides detailed insights into how AI—if deployed responsibly and inclusively—can unlock transformative outcomes across the continent's major industries, including agriculture, healthcare, education, energy and finance. With Africa's AI market projected to grow from USD 4.5 billion in 2025 to USD 16.5 billion by 2030 according to a recent report from Statista, the paper presents a clear case for multi-stakeholder collaboration and investment. It highlights how Africa's unique demographics, mobile-first infrastructure and entrepreneurial spirit position it as an active architect of the future. Mark Elliott, division president, Africa at Mastercard, commented: "Africa's engagement with AI is already reshaping lives — not just in labs, but in farms, clinics and classrooms. To unlock its full potential, we need investment in infrastructure, data, talent, and policy. At Mastercard, we believe responsible, locally rooted AI can drive inclusive growth and connect more people to opportunity." The whitepaper outlines the potential positive impact of AI on digital infrastructure, policy and governance, research and development, local language processing and investment into Africa. It also explores how AI can accelerate job creation, with up to 230 million digital jobs projected by 2030, and increase access to formal finance through AI-enabled credit scoring and fraud prevention. Greg Ulrich, chief AI and data officer, Mastercard, said: "AI is only as powerful as the trust behind it. At Mastercard, we're committed to building AI that's responsible, inclusive, and built to bring value to our customers, partners and employees. This isn't just innovation—it's innovation with integrity." Regional highlights covered in the whitepaper include: South Africa: South Africa attracted USD 610 million in AI-focused venture capital in 2023, with total AI investment expected to reach USD 3.7 billion by 2030. With the highest data and infrastructure readiness in Africa, the country is solidifying its role as a continental leader in AI research and application. It is home to the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa which serves as a gateway for students and professionals to access world-class education, research and industry news. National plans aim to develop up to 300 AI start-ups and train 5,000 AI professionals by 2030, creating the foundation for a vibrant, homegrown AI ecosystem. Kenya: An emerging leader in AI innovation, Kenya has leveraged its "Silicon Savannah" status to securely deploy AI across sectors. Platforms like Tala use mobile data for credit scoring, while Jacaranda Health's UlizaLlama, an AI-powered chatbot, provides maternal health support in five local languages. The newly launched National AI Strategy (2025–2030) outlines the government's commitment to positioning Kenya as a regional leader in AI research and development, innovation and commercialization for socioeconomic development. Nigeria: Nigeria ranks second in the number of AI startups in Africa and secured USD 218 million in VC investment in 2023. As one of Africa's most dynamic AI ecosystems, Nigeria is using AI to personalize learning (Rising Academies), deliver microfinance via and strengthen governance with AI tools that monitor public fund allocation. With a $1.4 billion projected AI market size by 2025, the government's proactive approach, combined with growing private-sector innovation, suggests promising growth in AI applications. Morocco: An emerging AI hub in North Africa, Morocco is advancing AI adoption across healthcare, energy, agriculture, and finance. Institutions such as Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and DeepEcho are driving local innovation, while the MoroccoAI Annual Conference is shaping national dialogue on the future of AI. Under its Digital 2030 strategy, Morocco aims to attract USD 1.1 billion in investment and create 240,000 digital jobs by 2030. Despite this progress, the whitepaper warns that data fragmentation, language exclusion and regulatory inconsistency could deepen the digital divide. Harnessing the potential of AI in Africa will be instrumental in accelerating financial inclusion and driving the continent's digital and economic growth. Strategic collaborations between governments, fintechs, and global partners will be key to unlocking AI's full impact. Mastercard's whitepaper draws on insights from leading African technologists, policymakers, academics and entrepreneurs, including interviews with UNESCO, the African Center for Economic Transformation, and fintech leaders across the region. To download the full whitepaper, click Editor's Note 'Harnessing the transformative power of AI in Africa' has been written by White Paper Media Consulting (WPM) in partnership with the Mastercard EEMEA team. The findings and outcomes presented in this paper are based on interviews of various key stakeholders named in the report. These were put into perspective with contextual research by WPM. Markets covered include Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. Infographic and report design is by WPM. About Mastercard Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we're building a resilient economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential. *Source: AETOSWire View source version on Contacts Kanyi Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


Bloomberg
5 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
How DeepSeek and Open-Source Models Are Shaking Up AI
Tech companies and academics have long wrestled with the risks and rewards of building open-source software. But the frenzy around generative artificial intelligence has lent new significance to the debate. DeepSeek and other Chinese companies have pushed out a wave of low-cost, open source models that rival software from the top American AI developers. In response, OpenAI, a leading US AI company, has released a new open model, its first in six years. The Trump administration has called for more US tech companies to do the same.


Geek Wire
7 minutes ago
- Geek Wire
‘The hustle factor is real': Why this fast-growing Seattle startup is packing its bags for Palo Alto
GeekWire's startup coverage documents the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and venture capital directory . Nectar Social co-founders and sisters Misbah Uraizee (left) and Farah Uraizee. (Nectar Social Photo) Misbah Uraizee and Farah Uraizee want to win. And they believe their best shot at success lies in Silicon Valley, not Seattle. The co-founders of Nectar Social, fresh off a $10.6 million funding round, are moving their AI-powered social commerce startup down to Palo Alto, Calif. The decision came down to three main factors: proximity to customers and early adopters, co-locating employees, and accessing specialized talent. 'This wasn't about leaving Seattle — it was about giving Nectar the best possible chance to define a new category,' Misbah Uraziee told GeekWire. 'Sometimes that means being where the game is being played at the highest level.' Speed was also a consideration. 'The hustle factor is real,' Misbah said via email. 'Right now in the Valley, teams are working six, seven days a week because they understand this is a unique moment in technology history. That intensity — that sense of 'we have to win this market NOW' — is harder to cultivate in Seattle where the pace, even at startups, tends to mirror the steadier rhythms of the big tech companies.' Nectar's departure echoes themes highlighted in our story last week about the state of Seattle's startup scene amid a wave of AI-fueled transformation. The presence of tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft — along with Meta, Google, and others with large engineering centers in the Seattle region — has helped attract world-class talent. Misbah previously worked at Microsoft, Meta, and X in the Seattle area before launching Nectar Social in 2023. Farah spent nearly five years at Meta in Seattle. But that talent doesn't always translate into startup activity. Seattle's startup ecosystem has 'matured tremendously,' Misbah said, but she pointed to a 'cultural gap around early-stage risk appetite.' 'The talent pool — particularly from Amazon and Microsoft — tends to gravitate toward later stage companies with more predictable trajectories,' she said. 'For a seed/Series A company doing something new especially in social, the talent pool isn't it large as you'd expect.' Nectar is building AI tools to help brands engage consumers on social media through personalized, direct conversations. Revenue has grown 5X in the past two months, according to the company. Uraizee said Seattle excels in cloud infrastructure and AI research, but the Valley offers stronger depth in go-to-market functions, product marketing, and design — especially from people who've shipped AI products at scale. Asked what she'd add to the Seattle startup scene, Misbah said the city would benefit from celebrating risk-taking and more diversity within the investor ecosystem. Nectar raised from one Seattle firm, Flying Fish, but other backers are in Silicon Valley or elsewhere. 'Seattle VCs tend to pattern-match on enterprise SaaS and biotech,' Misbah said. She also called for more support infrastructure for early stage startups — such as shared spaces, angel investors, and advisory networks. 'Most importantly, Seattle needs to embrace the idea that some companies need to operate at Valley-speed to win their markets,' she said. 'That's not a judgment on work-life balance — it's recognition that certain opportunities have expiration dates. If the ecosystem could support both sustainable growth companies AND these sprint-mode ventures, more founders would stay.'