Delhi-based spiritual tech startup Vama has raised ₹19.03 crore in an ongoing Pre-Series A round, in one of the more unusual backer stories in startup funding in India this week: the round is led by Writers and Publishers Private Limited, the family office of media group Dainik Bhaskar. The investment, reported on 28 October 2026 from regulatory filings accessed by Entrackr, marks what is believed to be one of the family office’s first recorded startup investments.
According to the filings, Vama allotted 3,452 compulsorily convertible preference shares at ₹55,134.39 per share, aggregating to ₹19.03 crore. The Dainik Bhaskar family office put in ₹12.50 crore in this tranche, while the remaining ₹6.53 crore came from other investors including Wavemaker Partners, Silver Needle Ventures, Tata Play MD and CEO Harit Nagpal, Swati Parikh, Vinay Mittal and Nikhil Bhandarkar. The round is described as ongoing, with more capital likely to follow in later tranches.
What Vama does
Founded in 2020 by Acharya Dev and Manu Jain, Vama gives devotees access to temple services, astrology consultations and spiritual products through its platform. Temple services account for around 70% of revenue, with astrology and the Vama Mall making up the rest. The company previously raised ₹22 crore in a Pre-Series A round led by Wavemaker Partners in September 2025.
The fresh capital values Vama at around ₹180 crore, a 20% increase on its previous Pre-Series A valuation of around ₹150 crore, as per Entrackr’s estimates. Following the allotment, the Dainik Bhaskar family office holds around 6.98% of the company, while co-founders Manu Jain and Acharya Dev — also known as Sandeep Chandra Tiwari — hold 14.44% and 14.43% respectively.
Why a media family office matters
Dainik Bhaskar’s deep presence across Hindi-speaking markets could help Vama widen its reach and strengthen its access to temples and service providers — distribution that money alone cannot buy for a devotional platform. For founders, the deal is a reminder that family offices outside the usual venture circles are now writing cheques, and that a strategic backer with an audience can matter as much as the capital itself.
Why it matters for founders
Look beyond traditional VCs when raising: a strategic family office can bring distribution, credibility and a regional audience along with capital. Vama’s 20% valuation step-up also shows that steady revenue mix and a clear niche can command a higher price even in a cautious market.