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Chirrup, a Bengaluru-based video-integrated social gaming platform, has raised a pre-seed round of $300,000 from Titan Capital, iSeed, First Cheque, and 3.0 Fund.

The startup said it will utilise the funding to further strengthen the product and provide a world-class user experience.

Founded in 2020 by IIT Delhi batchmates Vipul Garg, Sourav Lashkari, and Mehul Mittal, Chirrup enables friends and families to engage in a relaxed manner over multiplayer games and video calls. It wants to digitally recreate the experience of offline banter.

“Offline interactions centre around activities (board games, movies, cat videos) which fuel conversations and engagement. We want to recreate this living room experience and enable people to hang out in a laid-back manner. We are fortunate to have support from the best seed-stage investors in India right from the start,” said Mehul Mittal, Co-founder, Chirrup.

According to the startup, most social platforms are super passive and tend to make you feel tired and zoned out after hours of mindless scrolling. Chirrup wants to make a more wholesome, active social network — where the user feels energised and positive about spending the time online.

“Fantastic founders of Chirrup are making it possible for friends and family to chat over video calls alongside playing multiplayer games like Ludo, Uno, and Rummy. The gaming sector in India is booming and the pandemic has further fast-tracked the adoption of video, and we are really lucky to partner with the team and co-build with them,” added Bipin Shah, Partner, Titan Capital.

Chirrup currently offers nine multiplayer games, ranging from local favourites Ludo, Chess, and Rummy to global hits like Draw-It, War Vessels, and Crazy 8. All games have an in-built video call feature. Users can also auto-capture their fun moments like capturing a friend’s Ludo token to rewatch later or share with other friends.

The startup plans to add another 10 games over the next six months. 

Family members who are not living together and long-distance couples have been the early adopters of the product, Chirrup said. It says the users spend close to six hours a week on average on the app.