Z47-backed Dashverse raises $13M Series A to unlock the next wave of AI-native entertainment

Bengaluru, India & San Francisco, USA | 12th August, 2025

Dashverse, the AI-powered storytelling platform behind DashReels and Dashtoon, has raised $13 million in Series A funding to accelerate its vision of mobile-first, generative content creation. The round was led by Peak XV with participation from Stellaris Venture Partners and returning backer Z47, and is the largest Series A round in the sector. 

Launched just a few months ago, DashReels, Dashverse’s mobile app for microdramas, has already crossed 5 million downloads. Founders, Sanidhya Narain, Lalith Gudipati and Soumyadeep Mukherjee have built a full-stack ecosystem that reaches over 20 million users worldwide. The 3 products in this stack are:

• DashReels for distribution
• Frameo.AI for generative video creation, and
• Dashtoon for digital comic creation
  
  

“We’re entering a new era where content creation is no longer gated by resources, but by imagination,” said Sanidhya Narain, Co-founder and CEO of Dashverse. “Just as camera phones turned everyone into a creator and unlocked platforms like Instagram and TikTok, generative AI will do the same for storytelling, but with far more powerful formats. This funding fuels our mission to build the creative infrastructure for this shift where mobile-first, serialized content becomes the default, not the exception.”

Aakash Kumar, Managing Director at Z47, added “Dashverse is building a powerful engine for mobile-first, AI-native storytelling, at a pace that matches how audiences consume today. As one of India’s most promising AI startups, they reflect the country’s growing edge in global innovation. With a category-defining product and founder-led ambition, Dashverse is shaping the future of entertainment.”

“The creator economy is undergoing a seismic shift driven by generative AI, and Dashverse is at the very heart of this transformation. Their unique approach, combining proprietary AI with a deep understanding of storytelling and creator workflows, sets them apart. We were impressed by the team’s execution, the rapid traction of their consumer apps, and their ambitious vision to build the engine for modern entertainment. We are thrilled to partner with them.” said Abhishek Mohan, Principal at Peak XV.

“We partnered with Lalith, Sanidhya, and Soumyadeep at the idea stage, when they were already ahead of the curve, envisioning an AI-native future for entertainment well before the world knew of ChatGPT.” said Naman Lahoty, Partner at Stellaris Venture Partners. “Today, they’ve built one of the finest applied-AI teams in the country. Doubling down on our investment reflects our deep conviction in their ability to build a global, category-defining company in this space.”

The rise of microdramas signals a fundamental shift in how stories are told and consumed: shorter, serialized, mobile-first, and creator-led. But producing this format at scale still requires complex tools, costly workflows, and studio-grade teams. Dashverse is removing that friction.

With Frameo.AI, anyone can generate episodic video content using generative AI, while DashReels gives it reach. Together with Dashtoon, the company is building the creative infrastructure for a new generation of AI-native storytelling. We wish the founders and the team continued success on this journey. 

About Dashverse
Dashverse is an AI-powered entertainment company founded in 2023 by Sanidhya Narain, Lalith Gudipati and Soumyadeep Mukherjee. Bringing together advanced artificial intelligence and human imagination, Dashverse enables creators worldwide to develop, publish, and monetize original stories across comics and microdramas.

Through its ecosystem - DashReels (short drama app), Frameo.AI (generative video studio), and Dashtoon (mobile comics app) and Dashtoon Studio (web-based AI creator platform); Dashverse is making high-quality content creation accessible to all, fueling a new era of mobile-first entertainment and building the launchpad for the world’s next global entertainment franchises.

About Z47
Founded in 2006, Z47 is an investment Firm with more than 150 investments till date and an AUM of over $3.5 billion. Guided by a ‘founders first’ philosophy, Z47 is committed to backing missionary founders leading India to its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, prioritizing founders over markets. 

Z47’s focus sectors include Financial Services, Consumer, B2B, Advanced Manufacturing and Enterprise AI amongst others. We are proud partners to several Consumer companies; select ones include Country Delight, GoKwik, Mosaic Wellness, The Whole Truth, and Zupee Gaming. Other select investments include Dailyhunt, Five Star Business Finance, OfBusiness, Ola, Ola Electric, and Razorpay.

Z47 has offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and GIFT City. For more information, visit www.z47.com or write to newsroom@z47.com.