Why Interest-Led Social Platforms Are Gaining Relevance
India’s social media landscape is increasingly shaped by fatigue around algorithm-heavy feeds and low-trust interactions. As users seek smaller, purpose-driven communities, interest-led and safety-first platforms are emerging as a counter-trend to mass-scale social networks.
What the Funding Round Signals
Hyderabad-based social networking startup Culture has raised ₹2 crore in a seed funding round led by Acuvest Infra. The capital will be deployed toward accelerating product development, expanding community initiatives, and strengthening safety-focused platform infrastructure, the company said.
Inside Culture’s Product and Vision
Founded by Anurag Rangineni, Culture enables users to connect through Artificial Intelligence-driven, interest-based video matching. Conversations are designed to develop organically around shared passions such as music, startups, travel, wellness, and creative pursuits, rather than follower counts or viral reach.
A core differentiator for Culture is its emphasis on accountability and safety. The platform uses real profiles, phone verification, and AI-powered moderation that automatically disconnects interactions involving nudity, harassment, or nuisance behaviour.
Expansion Plans and Community Strategy
Culture plans to introduce creator-led Spaces, allowing creators and community leaders to host live discussions, events, and hybrid online-offline experiences. The feature will support ticketed events, targeted promotions, and partnerships with offline venues such as cafes, clubs, and cultural spaces.
Growth efforts currently focus on college activations, cafe and brewery partnerships, creator collaborations, and organic community-building initiatives. The startup aims to scale across major Indian cities before expanding globally.
Evergreen Insight: Safety and Intent Are Becoming Differentiators
As regulatory scrutiny and user expectations rise, platforms that prioritise trust, real identities, and shared intent may build stronger long-term engagement than feed-first social apps.
Founder Takeaway
For social tech founders, Culture’s approach highlights a growing opportunity: building networks around meaningful interactions, not just scale, may define the next phase of social platforms in India.
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