Nitro Commerce, a fast-growing AI startup based in New Delhi, has raised $5 million in a Series A equity round led by Cornerstone Ventures, with participation from India Accelerator, Finvolve, Equentis Wealth, and Razorpay Ventures. The funding will support product development, talent acquisition, and expansion into international markets. The raise highlights Nitro’s ambition to address India’s complex and costly digital advertising landscape with AI-driven solutions.
Building an AI-Led Growth Operating Layer
Nitro Commerce is tackling challenges familiar to growth teams, including rising ad spend, fragmented customer journeys, and reliance on the Meta–Google duopoly. The company has developed a modular “growth operating layer” that includes three core products: NitroX, a commerce identity network; Nitro Ads, a privacy-conscious advertising platform; and Nitro Pulse, an AI-powered sales and engagement engine. These tools collectively help brands unify online and offline data, optimize advertising spend, and re-engage customers in real time.
The platform has already been adopted by more than 2,500 brands, including Imagine Online, Rare Rabbit, Blue Tokai, VIP Industries, and Dot & Key. By converting anonymous traffic into identifiable users, NitroX enables brands to build a complete view of customer journeys. Meanwhile, Nitro Ads allows marketers to activate audiences on platforms such as Truecaller, Zomato, and Paytm, providing alternatives to traditional ad networks.
Investor Confidence Signals Market Opportunity
Cornerstone Ventures led the round, reflecting strong belief in co-founder Umair Mohammad’s vision, following his previous venture Wigzo. Investors are drawn to Nitro’s ability to unify identity, intent, and attribution across multiple commerce channels, offering a potential foundational layer for India’s rapidly expanding consumer economy. The company’s annual recurring revenue has reportedly grown tenfold to $5 million and is expected to double within six months, demonstrating compelling traction amid a tight funding climate.
Participation from India Accelerator, Equentis Wealth, and Razorpay Ventures underscores confidence in Nitro’s cross-platform architecture. These backers see the platform as addressing inefficiencies in digital marketing and offering measurable business outcomes. This investor enthusiasm suggests that startups providing infrastructure for growth and attribution continue to attract capital, even as broader venture investment slows.
Relevance for Indian Marketers
India’s direct-to-consumer and omnichannel retail sectors are growing rapidly, yet many brands struggle to achieve efficient growth. Rising costs on Meta and Google, coupled with privacy-driven attribution challenges, make traditional marketing channels increasingly difficult to navigate. Nitro Commerce offers an alternative by allowing brands to reach audiences beyond walled gardens, convert anonymous visitors into identifiable users, and recover lost conversions using AI in real time.
Marketers can also benefit from unified cross-channel analytics that reflect the full customer journey. This approach provides more actionable insights than conventional broad-based campaigns. As performance marketing shifts toward measurable ROI and targeted strategies, Nitro’s AI-driven stack presents a compelling solution.
Looking Ahead for Martech Leaders
For brands considering how to optimize growth locally, Nitro’s platform illustrates several emerging trends. Identity-led marketing is becoming increasingly important as privacy rules tighten and cookies disappear, giving platforms like NitroX strategic value. Similarly, AI-driven sales engines like Nitro Pulse show how decision-making can be integrated directly into marketing workflows, enhancing efficiency and conversion rates.
The funding round demonstrates that investors remain willing to back startups building foundational growth infrastructure. Companies that combine measurable traction with innovative solutions in adtech and martech continue to find opportunities in India’s competitive landscape. Nitro Commerce’s progress may signal a broader shift toward AI-powered, cross-channel tools for brands seeking sustainable growth.
Nitro Commerce’s $5 million Series A funding positions the startup to scale its AI-driven growth platform both in India and abroad. By offering an alternative to traditional ad networks and unifying fragmented customer data, the company addresses key challenges for modern marketers. As D2C and omnichannel retail continue to expand, Nitro’s modular stack could become an essential component of India’s evolving marketing ecosystem.