Info Edge Doubles Down On Digital Content-Based Rusk Media With Fresh Investment

Digital content startup Rusk Media is raising INR 4.4 Cr in a fresh round of funding from its existing investor Info Edge Ventures who will be pumping in INR 2.6 Cr through Info Edge Ventures I fund. 

Rusk Media is also raising INR 61 Lakh from Survam Partners and INR 55 Lakh from Mitco Group in the ongoing round. 

The New Delhi-based digital content platform which runs brands such as Alright, Hattke, Recharge and LIT has allotted 2072 compulsory convertible preference shares (CCPS) at a premium price of INR 12,587 to IE Venture Fund which is run by Info Edge, as per its RoC filings.

Founded in 2019 by Mayank Yadav, Rusk Media claims to be a media platform that delivers content mainly to generation Z and millennials audience. The startup works with companies such as Groww, Aisle, Quackquack, Tinder, Ballebazzi among others.

The startup’s flagship brand Alright which delivers sketches and mini series over social media platforms has 2.9 Mn subscribers on YouTube. While its tech channel Recharge claims to have a subscriber base of 1 Mn on YouTube, its musical-based entertainment YouTube channel has 1.03 Mn subscribers. 

Last year, Rusk Media managed to raise an undisclosed amount from Info Edge Ventures and Sprout Venture Partners. Back then the company claimed that its content was able to achieve  300 Mn monthly views across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram among others. 

Rusk media competes against the likes of new age content media platforms such as ScoopWhoop, TVF, FilterCopy among others. These media channels are mostly known for their new age content which are targeting the 15-25 year-old. These platforms mostly rely on YouTube to publish their content and monetise them. 

The rise of online content consumption is mainly driven by the rising number of internet users in the country. As per IAMAI and Kantar Research report, Indian internet users are expected to reach 900 Mn by 2025 from 622 Mn in 2019.