- The investment will be directed toward accelerating product innovation, expanding community‑driven initiatives, and reinforcing the platform’s safety‑first infrastructure
- The fresh capital will also enable the launch of creator‑led “Spaces,” empowering creators and community leaders to host live discussions, interactive events, and hybrid online‑offline experiences.
- With this seed funding, Culture is set to build a global social platform where human connection takes precedence over algorithms, and digital spaces feel more like authentic conversations than endless feeds.
Hyderabad, India | January 2026: Culture, a human‑first social networking platform built around shared interests and real‑time conversations, has raised ₹2 crore in seed funding from Acuvest Infra. The funding, raised by ART Pvt Ltd., the parent company of Culture, will be used to accelerate product development, expand community initiatives, and strengthen safety‑focused infrastructure.
The capital will also support the rollout of creator‑led “Spaces”, a feature enabling creators and community leaders to host live discussions, events, and hybrid online‑offline experiences. Spaces form a key part of Culture’s monetization strategy, offering ticketed events, targeted promotions, and partnerships with offline venues such as cafés, clubs, and cultural spaces.
Anurag Rangineni, Founder & CEO, Culture, said: “Social media today rewards attention, not connection. We are building Culture to solve that. The future of social networking lies in meaningful conversations built around shared interests, not follower counts or endless scrolling. Culture is designed to help people feel heard, not performed.”
He added: “Trust is the biggest deficit in today’s digital communities. Culture is built from the ground up with safety and intent as core principles. Real communities can only grow when people feel secure enough to be themselves.”
Acuvest Infra commented: “Users are increasingly moving away from noisy, performative platforms toward smaller, safer, and more meaningful communities. Culture’s focus on explicit interests, verified users, and community‑driven engagement positions it well for the next phase of social networking.”
Growth Strategy
Currently in its early growth phase, Culture is expanding through:
- College activations
- Café and brewery partnerships
- Creator collaborations
- Organic community‑building initiatives
The company plans to scale across major Indian cities before expanding to global markets, with a roadmap that includes premium subscriptions, creator monetization tools, and native advertising aligned with user interests.
Platform Differentiation
Unlike algorithm‑driven or anonymous platforms, Culture prioritizes:
- Interest‑led one‑on‑one video interactions
- Verified profiles and phone verification
- AI‑powered moderation that disconnects unsafe interactions (nudity, harassment, nuisance)
Culture enables users to connect through AI‑driven interest‑based video matching, fostering conversations around passions such as music, startups, travel, wellness, and creative pursuits.
The platform’s vision is shaped by the rise and fall of earlier random chat platforms, aiming to preserve spontaneity while eliminating risks through accountability and safety‑first design.
About Culture
Culture is a human‑first social networking platform designed to prioritize connection over algorithms. Founded by Anurag Rangineni, Culture enables meaningful conversations through interest‑based video interactions, verified profiles, and real‑time moderation. With its seed funding, Culture aims to build a global platform where digital spaces feel less like feeds and more like conversations.
Website: www.cultureapp.in
