In a vibrant testament to India’s burgeoning digital content ecosystem, Rusk Media, the Gen Z-centric entertainment powerhouse, has secured Rs 74 crore ($8.5 million) in its Series B funding round. Led by South Korea’s Woori Venture Partners, the infusion marks a pivotal escalation for the New Delhi-based startup, which has quietly amassed over 500 million monthly views across its social media and OTT channels. This capital raise, disclosed through regulatory filings with the Registrar of Companies (RoC), underscores the intensifying investor appetite for homegrown platforms that blend gaming, short-form videos, and interactive storytelling to captivate India’s youth demographic.
Founded in 2019 by IIT Delhi alumnus Mayank Yadav and a cadre of media-savvy entrepreneurs, Rusk Media emerged from the shadows of traditional broadcasting to pioneer a mobile-first model tailored for the fleeting attention spans of digital natives. What began as a modest content studio churning out viral sketches and challenges has evolved into a full-stack operation, encompassing premium intellectual properties (IPs) in fiction, non-fiction, and anime genres. The company’s flagship formats, such as the high-octane gaming reality show “Playground,” have not only racked up hundreds of millions of views but also forged strategic alliances with global players, including an exclusive IP deal with SPACEMOB for a U.S. adaptation aimed at cracking the North American market.
The Series B round, structured through the issuance of 11,663 Series B Compulsory Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) at Rs 63,493 each, reflects meticulous boardroom deliberations. Woori Venture Partners, known for its stakes in high-growth Asian tech ventures, anchored the round with a substantial Rs 26 crore commitment, drawn by Rusk’s robust traction metrics and scalable content pipeline. Joining them are a consortium of astute backers: New Emerging Technologies Fund and LC Nueva Investment Partners each pledging Rs 16.5 crore and Rs 15 crore respectively, while Yashaa Global Capital chipped in Rs 10 crore. Rounding out the participant list are domestic heavyweights like Info Edge Ventures (the investment arm of Naukri.com’s parent), LetsVenture, and Nodwin Gaming—a subsidiary of Nazara Technologies that has been an early evangelist in Rusk’s journey.
This is no isolated windfall for Rusk Media. The startup’s funding trajectory tells a story of calculated acceleration. In 2022, it clinched an extended Series A of $9.5 million led by Seoul-based DAOL Investment and Audacity Ventures, with participation from the likes of Mistry Ventures and Survam Partners. Earlier seed infusions from Nazara Technologies and Nodwin Gaming provided the foundational runway, bringing Rusk’s cumulative capital to approximately $20 million prior to this round. Post-allotment, Entrackr estimates peg the company’s valuation at Rs 468 crore ($54 million), a respectable multiplier that signals investor confidence without the froth of overvaluation seen in pre-2022 funding sprees.
At its core, Rusk Media’s appeal lies in its unerring grasp of the Gen Z psyche. With over 20 proprietary IPs, the platform delivers bite-sized narratives that thrive on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and emerging OTT services. “Playground,” co-created with gaming luminaries such as CarryMinati, Triggered Insaan, ScoutOP, and Mortal, exemplifies this prowess—garnering over 200 million views in its debut season alone and spawning spin-offs that fuse esports with reality TV tropes. The company’s social UGC (user-generated content) gaming arm further democratizes entertainment, allowing creators to remix formats into personalized challenges, fostering a sticky ecosystem where viewers morph into contributors.
Financially, Rusk is firing on all cylinders. Fiscal year 2024 (FY24) closed with revenues soaring 40.6% year-on-year to Rs 56.8 crore, a figure that belies the lean operational model of digital natives. Expenses, while scaling with content production, have been kept in check through data-driven targeting—leveraging algorithms to predict viral potential and optimize ad spends. Profitability remains elusive, as is par for the course in content startups chasing scale, but margins are reportedly improving as monetization streams diversify beyond ads into branded integrations, merchandise, and premium subscriptions. The fresh capital, earmarked for working capital and expansion, will fuel hires in creative, tech, and distribution verticals, alongside R&D into AI-enhanced personalization tools that could sharpen content recommendations.
This raise arrives at a propitious juncture for India’s digital entertainment sector, which is projected to eclipse $5 billion by 2027, per PwC’s India Entertainment and Media Outlook. The post-pandemic boom in short-form video consumption—fueled by affordable data and smartphone penetration—has democratized access, but it has also intensified competition. Titans like ShareChat, MX Player, and Pocket Aces dominate the fray, while global behemoths such as TikTok’s spiritual successors and Netflix’s vernacular push encroach on local turf. Rusk differentiates through its hyper-local, youth-inflected lens: think desi memes laced with Bollywood flair or esports showdowns riffing on IPL rivalries. Yet, challenges loom large. Algorithmic whims can capsize viewership overnight, regulatory scrutiny over data privacy and content moderation is tightening, and ad fatigue among audiences demands ceaseless innovation.
Mayank Yadav, Rusk’s CEO, embodies the startup’s scrappy ethos. A former product manager at a leading edtech firm, he spotted the void in premium, ad-free Gen Z content during the early lockdown surge. “We’re not just building videos; we’re architecting worlds where India’s youth can laugh, compete, and connect without borders,” Yadav remarked in a recent interview, alluding to the SPACEMOB collaboration as a gateway to global syndication. Under his stewardship, Rusk has inked deals with over 50 brands for native advertising, from snack giants to telecom majors, turning entertainment into a revenue flywheel.
The investor syndicate’s composition merits scrutiny. Woori Venture Partners’ entry injects Korean expertise in K-content and esports, potentially unlocking cross-cultural IPs like anime-infused thrillers tailored for Indian tastes. Nodwin’s deepened involvement, following its 10% stake acquisition via Nazara, hints at synergies in gaming ecosystems—perhaps co-producing tournaments that blend Rusk’s narrative flair with Nodwin’s event machinery. Info Edge’s continuity underscores faith in Rusk’s talent acquisition moat; the company recently expanded its ESOP pool by 2,828 options worth Rs 18 crore and MSOP by 5,656 options valued at Rs 35.9 crore, incentivizing a 150-strong team to think long-term.
Critics, however, caution against the pitfalls of over-reliance on viral metrics. In an industry where 90% of content flops, Rusk’s bet on IP ownership is a double-edged sword—valuable for syndication but risky if tastes shift. Moreover, as funding winters thaw unevenly, smaller players risk being gobbled up in consolidations. Rusk’s response? A pivot toward experiential formats, including AR/VR pilots and live-streamed fan events, to forge deeper loyalty.
As Rusk Media deploys this war chest, it stands poised to redefine digital escapism for a generation glued to screens. With the Maha Kumbh of content wars on the horizon—think Jio’s aggressive OTT forays and Disney’s Hotstar integrations—Rusk’s agility could prove decisive. For now, this Series B isn’t just fuel; it’s a launchpad, propelling a Delhi dreamer toward the global stage.
also read: Hyderabad Economy 2025: Growth Headwinds, Strategic Ambitions, and Emerging Fault Lines
Last Updated on: Thursday, October 9, 2025 3:54 pm by BUSINESS SAGA TEAM | Published by: BUSINESS SAGA TEAM on Thursday, October 9, 2025 3:54 pm | News Categories: Business Saga News
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