Venture capital firm Peak XV has invested in five early-stage artificial intelligence startups at the Impact AI PitchFest, organised as part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. The announcement was made during the pitch event where selected founders presented their products before a gathering of investors, operators, and ecosystem leaders.
The startups that secured backing include Companion Labs, Kello, Memfold AI, Round1, and Zoop each building AI-first products targeting distinct but high growth use cases across consumer, enterprise, and workforce automation segments.
AI Across Consumer, Hiring and Knowledge Work
Companion Labs is focused on building interactive, entertainment driven AI experiences tailored for India’s culturally diverse and vernacular audiences. Co-founded by Akshay Jhanwar and Ajit Pol, the startup enables users to explore alternate careers, life paths, and aspirations through AI-powered narrative simulations.
Kello is rethinking hiring intelligence by analysing real world capability signals instead of relying on traditional indicators such as job titles or academic pedigree. The platform has already mapped over 32 million professionals and aims to expand coverage to 100 million in 2026, helping enterprises make data-driven talent decisions.
Memfold AI, co-founded by Vinod Ganesan and Nischith Shadagopan, is building AI-native workspaces designed to transform how knowledge workers collaborate, organise information, and execute tasks in enterprise environments.
AI for Interviews and Seller Enablement
Round1 is targeting hiring automation at scale. Co-founded by Saumil Tripathi, Shreeyash Dharmadhikari, and Jainam Talsania, the platform conducts over 500 AI-led interviews daily for Indian startups and reports a 90% qualification rate from first to second interview rounds.
Zoop, meanwhile, is building AI agents that integrate into sellers’ existing workflows. Its solutions range from voice-based product cataloguing and personalised AI coaching to automated social media, marketing, and operational agents.
Peak XV’s participation signals continued investor confidence in India’s early-stage AI ecosystem, particularly in startups building applied AI solutions for large-scale domestic and global markets.
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