Former food‑delivery leaders create Profound, an AI‑powered professional representation platform, and secure seed funding to expand its matchmaking engine.

Former Swiggy and Zomato executives have founded Profound, an AI‑driven platform that matches professionals with representation opportunities, and have secured $1.5 million in seed funding to accelerate product development.

Founders and Vision

The startup is led by Rohit Kumar, former head of operations at Swiggy, and Neha Sharma, who oversaw partner relations at Zomato. Both aim to leverage their deep industry networks to create a technology‑enabled marketplace that streamlines the discovery of agents, managers, and other professional representatives for talent across sectors.

AI‑Powered Matchmaking Engine

Profound’s core product is an AI‑powered engine that analyses profiles, past engagements, and market demand to suggest optimal representation matches. The platform promises to reduce the time and friction traditionally associated with finding suitable agents, especially for emerging creators and freelancers.

Funding and Investors

The seed round, amounting to $1.5 million, was led by AngelEdge Ventures with participation from several angel investors familiar with the food‑delivery and technology ecosystems. The capital will be used to enhance the AI algorithms, expand the talent pool, and launch pilot programs in major Indian metros.

  • Develop AI models for profile analysis
  • Integrate secure communication tools
  • Launch beta in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi
  • Scale to additional professional domains

Market Outlook

Industry observers note that the representation market remains fragmented, with many professionals relying on personal networks. By digitising the matchmaking process, Profound could capture a niche segment that bridges the gap between talent and representation services.

Profound aims to democratise access to professional representation, making it as easy as ordering food online.

For more details, see the Business Standard coverage of Ex‑Swiggy, Zomato executives launch AI startup Profound, raise $1.5 mn.