Apple alum’s jobs app bags $8m in series A money from Sequoia, Lightspeed, others

Apna.co, an India-based jobs app comprised of a vertical network of grey and blue-collar workers, today announced that it has raised US$8 million in a series A funding round from existing investors Lightspeed India and Sequoia Capital India, as well as new investors Greenoaks Capital and Rocketship.vc.

Apna CEO and co-founder Nirmit Parikh / Photo credit: Apna

Currently operating in five cities, the company plans to use the new funds to expand to more cities, hire talent and broaden its user community to more blue and grey-collar verticals, according to a statement.

It is also developing the product to help users learn new skills, earn credentials, and launch their own new businesses.

What problem is it solving? There are over 250 million blue and grey-collar workers in India at present, according to Harshjit Sethi, principal at Sequoia Capital India. Apna was founded to help them find jobs.

Launched in December last year, Apna consists of vertical communities for skilled professionals like carpenters, painters, and field sales agents. It allows them to build a digital professional identity, find jobs, connect with peers, and gain new skills.

“The most powerful thing for me about Apna is its communities – I’ve seen people help each other start a business, learn a new language, or find a gig. Communities rely on trust and make the model infinitely scalable,” said Vaibhav Agrawal, partner at Lightspeed India.

How much traction has it gotten? In less than one year since inception, Apna said it has attracted more than 1.2 million users. In the last 30 days, it has also facilitated more than 1 million job interviews, growing more than 3x month on month.

Who are the team members? Prior to founding Apna, its CEO and co-founder Nirmit Parikh worked at Apple and Intel.

With more than 130 employees, the team is comprised of talent from companies such as Apple, LinkedIn, and Grab.