Indian AR-based social media startup nets $3.5m in seed funding

Flam, an India-based augmented reality-driven social networking firm, has raised US$3.5 million in seed funding led by Silicon Valley Quad and Inventus Capital Partners SV. The round also saw participation from 9Unicorns, Kwaish Ventures, and handful of angel investors.

Founded in May 2021, Flam’s first offering, FlamCard, allows users to scan a printed photo and play AR videos on top of the picture. Users can also choose to print a particular frame of a video and then use the company’s app to play the clip.

Flam team/ Photo credit: Flam

Flam CEO and founder Shourya Agarwal told Tech in Asia that the company uses a propriety technology for FlamCard. The technology is a combination of image recognition, augmentation, and tracking, among others.

Agarwal revealed that the company has recorded over 40 million camera interactions and scans since its launch.

Flam plans to use the capital to develop the product and scale its AR engine. It also plans to set up a team of specialists in computer vision, graphic engineering, GPS mapping, social media, 3D design, and others.

According to Agarwal, the company plans to add more social features on FlamCard moving forward. Upcoming features include FlamCard Stories, which will allow users to add different videos on a printed photograph. Another in the works is “ghost,” a blank photo that only users with the right permissions can scan.

“This seed funding will enable us to drive this shift toward AR for social interactions. Our goal is to be the front-runner in representing consumer AR tech across the globe,” said Agarwal in a statement.