Petpooja, an Ahmedabad-based restaurant management software startup, secured ₹137 crore in a fresh funding round on Monday. Dharana Capital, a growth-stage investment firm, led the round. Several prominent investors, including Ashish Gupta, Co-founder of Helion Ventures, and the founders of Urban Company—Abhiraj Singh Bhal, Varun Khaitan, and Raghav Chandra—also participated. Mukund Kulashekaran, Chief Business Officer at Urban Company, joined the list of backers as well.
The funding round combined both primary and secondary capital. With this injection of funds, Petpooja plans to expand its product portfolio, accelerate its AI-driven automation capabilities, and strengthen customer support across markets.
Petpooja’s Vision and Journey
Petpooja started with a mission to simplify operations for restaurants of every scale. The founders identified that restaurant owners struggled with fragmented systems, manual record-keeping, and inefficient workflows. They designed Petpooja as a one-stop platform that manages billing, inventory, menu, delivery, payments, and customer relationship management.
From its base in Ahmedabad, Petpooja expanded across India and established itself as a trusted partner for restaurant businesses. Thousands of small eateries, quick-service restaurants, and fine-dining chains rely on Petpooja to streamline their day-to-day tasks. The company consistently innovated and tailored its offerings for a wide range of food service businesses, from single outlets to large franchise networks.
Why Investors Placed Their Bet
Dharana Capital and other investors recognized Petpooja’s unique value proposition in the restaurant tech ecosystem. They observed the company’s deep integration with its customers’ businesses and its strong product-led growth strategy. Investors also noted that Petpooja combines software innovation with on-ground support, which helps it maintain a loyal customer base.
Ashish Gupta of Helion Ventures highlighted that startups like Petpooja create meaningful impact by digitizing traditional sectors. The Urban Company founders and executives saw parallels with their own entrepreneurial journey, where technology enabled scale and efficiency in a fragmented services industry. By joining this round, these backers signaled their confidence in Petpooja’s potential to disrupt restaurant management at scale.
Plans for the New Funding
Petpooja will channel the ₹137 crore into three major areas:
1. Expanding Product Portfolio
The company intends to launch new features that go beyond billing and inventory management. It plans to design advanced tools that help restaurant owners make data-driven decisions. These tools will cover menu optimization, predictive ordering, and real-time supply chain monitoring. Petpooja will also integrate payment innovations to make settlements faster and more transparent for businesses.
2. Accelerating AI-Driven Automation
The startup views artificial intelligence as a core driver of its next phase of growth. With the fresh funds, Petpooja will invest heavily in AI research and deployment. The team will roll out features that automate repetitive tasks such as order tracking, customer communication, and stock replenishment. AI will also enable predictive insights, helping restaurants anticipate peak demand, reduce food waste, and maximize profitability.
3. Strengthening Customer Support
Petpooja already operates a strong customer support network, but the team aims to expand it significantly. Restaurants often run into operational challenges during peak hours, and quick resolution matters. The company will invest in multilingual support teams, 24/7 helplines, and AI-powered chatbots to ensure every client receives timely assistance. By building this support ecosystem, Petpooja wants to deepen its relationship with restaurant owners and reduce churn.
The State of Restaurant Tech in India
India’s food service industry continues to grow rapidly, fueled by rising disposable incomes, urbanization, and an expanding delivery ecosystem. However, many restaurants still operate with minimal digitization. Owners face challenges such as manual billing, poor inventory tracking, and lack of real-time insights.
Restaurant management software fills this gap by providing a centralized solution. Platforms like Petpooja enable businesses to handle billing, manage menus across outlets, process online orders, and integrate with food delivery platforms. Such software also provides analytics that help restaurants understand customer behavior and optimize pricing.
Analysts predict strong growth in this sector as more restaurants adopt digital solutions. Petpooja’s focus on affordability and scalability positions it strongly against competitors that cater only to larger chains. By serving both small and large businesses, Petpooja taps into a broad and growing market.
How Petpooja Stands Out
Petpooja distinguishes itself with a few key strengths:
- Ease of Use: The software interface remains simple, ensuring even non-technical staff can operate it with minimal training.
- Customization: Restaurants can tailor the platform to match their workflow, whether they operate dine-in, delivery, or cloud kitchens.
- Affordability: Petpooja prices its services competitively, allowing small restaurants to digitize operations without heavy costs.
- Scalability: As a restaurant grows, the platform grows with it, handling multiple outlets, central kitchens, and franchise models.
- Integration: The system connects seamlessly with online ordering platforms, payment gateways, and loyalty programs.
These differentiators helped Petpooja capture a loyal customer base and attract investor attention.
AI as the Future of Restaurant Management
The food service industry produces enormous amounts of data, from customer orders to supplier invoices. Traditionally, restaurants fail to capture or utilize this data effectively. AI changes this dynamic.
Petpooja’s AI roadmap includes predictive analytics that forecast demand based on historical data, seasonality, and local events. For example, the system can predict that a pizza outlet near a stadium will see a sales spike during a major match and recommend higher ingredient stocking. Similarly, AI tools can analyze customer feedback in real time, enabling restaurants to adjust service quickly.
Automation will also streamline repetitive tasks. AI chatbots can confirm reservations, send personalized offers, and collect reviews without human intervention. In the kitchen, AI-powered inventory systems can alert staff when ingredients run low, reducing wastage and ensuring menu availability.
By placing AI at the center of its strategy, Petpooja aims to redefine how restaurants operate and compete in a fast-changing environment.
Broader Impact on the Food Industry
Petpooja’s growth benefits more than just restaurant owners. Suppliers, delivery partners, and customers also gain from efficient restaurant operations. When restaurants manage inventory better, suppliers receive more predictable orders. Delivery partners face fewer delays when kitchens run smoothly. Customers enjoy faster service, accurate orders, and personalized experiences.
In the long run, widespread adoption of platforms like Petpooja could transform India’s food ecosystem. Digitization will improve transparency, reduce inefficiencies, and create data-rich environments for innovation. Petpooja’s expansion will likely inspire more startups to innovate in adjacent areas such as supply chain optimization, food safety tracking, and loyalty program management.
Looking Ahead
With ₹137 crore in fresh capital, Petpooja stands at the threshold of significant growth. The company’s decision to focus on product expansion, AI-driven automation, and customer support shows its commitment to long-term impact. Investors expect Petpooja to consolidate its leadership in the Indian market and potentially expand to international markets in the future.
The startup’s success also highlights a broader trend: technology companies that solve real operational pain points attract strong investor interest. By addressing the unique challenges of the food service industry, Petpooja demonstrates that software innovation can create lasting value for traditional businesses.
Conclusion
Petpooja’s latest funding round marks a milestone in the evolution of restaurant management technology in India. By raising ₹137 crore from a distinguished set of investors, the startup gains the resources to scale its operations and deepen its impact. Its plans to enhance product offerings, harness AI, and strengthen customer support position it strongly for the future.
As restaurants continue to adopt digital solutions, Petpooja will play a crucial role in shaping how the industry operates. The company’s journey reflects the power of technology to transform even the most traditional sectors. With strong investor backing and a clear roadmap, Petpooja looks ready to redefine restaurant management for the digital age.
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