Startups > Apna

Apna

Apna connects blue and gray-collar workers to employers through a mobile-first job marketplace.

Series C $194M total Founded 2019 India

Apna is a mobile-first digital marketplace connecting entry-level and blue/gray-collar job seekers to employers across India. The platform features 70+ professional communities (carpenters, painters, telecallers, delivery personnel, etc.) and uses AI-driven matching to enable bulk hiring campaigns, automated candidate sourcing, and integrated chat for interview coordination. Employers can post jobs, filter profiles, unlock contact details, and engage candidates via WhatsApp, while job seekers access real-time alerts, interview prep tools, and social networking features.

Problem solved

Employers struggle to source and contact hundreds of millions of blue and gray-collar workers in India efficiently, while job seekers lack access to vetted opportunities and meaningful professional connections.

Target customer

Mid-market to enterprise employers in India hiring for field sales, delivery, telecalling, skilled trades, and entry-level roles; includes companies like Zomato, Flipkart, BigBasket, and 150,000+ registered companies

Website LinkedIn Crunchbase

Founders

Nirmit Parikh

Founder & CEO

Previously at Apple (iPhone Ops) and Intel (Director, New Products); founded flood-management startup Incone and AI platform Cruxbot (acquired by Intel); MBA from Stanford, BTech from Nirma Institute; World Economic Forum Global Shaper.

Funding history

Seed Unknown July 2019 Led by Peak XV Partners

Series A Unknown August 31, 2020 Led by Rocketship, Greenoaks, Lightspeed India

Series B $70M June 2021 Led by Insight Partners, Tiger Global · Lightspeed India, Sequoia Capital India, Greenoaks Capital, Rocketship VC

Series C $100M September 15, 2021 Led by Tiger Global · Owl Ventures, Insight Partners, Sequoia Capital India, Maverick Ventures, GSV Ventures

Total raised: $194M

Industries

Human Resources Recruiting

Pricing

Pay-per-job model: ₹600 (~$7.20 USD) per job post with 15-day visibility. Employers review profiles free, pay only to contact candidates (14 Apna Coins for detailed profile/contact, 28 Coins for CSV export). Enterprise plans available with custom pricing for WhatsApp invites, branding, ATS integration, and account managers.

Notable customers

Zomato, Flipkart, BigBasket, Licious, Unacademy, WhiteHat Jr, Shadowfax, Delhivery, Burger King, Lenskart, Paytm, TVS, Dunzo, Bharti-AXA, Teamlease, G4S Global; 150,000+ registered companies; 100,000+ recruiters

Integrations

WhatsApp, ATS systems (custom enterprise integration), CSV export functionality

Website

apna.co/

Competitors

LinkedIn focuses on professional networking across all collar levels globally; Apna specializes in blue and gray-collar workers in India with community-driven, social-first engagement.

Indeed

Indeed is a broad job board with global reach; Apna is mobile-first, community-based, and purpose-built for entry-level and blue-collar hiring in India.

Naukri.com

Naukri.com targets primarily white-collar and IT roles; Apna focuses on blue and gray-collar workers with AI-driven matching and social networking features.

Why this matters: Apna became a unicorn in 16 months (2019–2021) by solving a massive but underserved market: connecting hundreds of millions of blue and gray-collar workers in India to employers. Its mobile-first, community-driven approach and pay-per-contact model deliver better unit economics than traditional job boards and are reshaping how India's entry-level workforce finds work.

Best for: Indian enterprises and mid-market companies hiring at scale for field sales, delivery, customer service, skilled trades, and entry-level roles who need rapid sourcing and mobile-friendly candidate engagement.

Use cases

Rapid bulk hiring for delivery and logistics

A logistics company like Delhivery needs to hire 500 delivery agents across multiple cities. Using Apna, recruiters post jobs for ₹600 each, instantly reach relevant candidates, filter profiles at no cost, and send WhatsApp interview invites to qualified candidates. This cuts recruitment cycle from weeks to days.

Campus and entry-level sourcing

An edtech company like Unacademy uses Apna's campus outreach tools and telecaller communities to source fresh graduate field sales agents. AI-driven recommendations surface candidates matching their location and skill profile, reducing manual screening by 70%.

Social hiring through professional communities

A painter or electrician seeking work discovers Apna's skilled trades communities, builds a profile, and gets matched with contractors needing that service. Employers post one job and receive pre-vetted applicants from a highly engaged community rather than generic applications.

Alternatives

LinkedIn Jobs Global professional network with enterprise recruiting tools; better for white-collar and mid-to-senior roles, but less optimized for blue-collar workers in emerging markets.

Indeed World's largest job board with broad geographic reach; more suited to general job posting than community-driven, social-first hiring for blue-collar roles.

Naukri.com India's leading job portal but historically focused on IT and white-collar roles; less specialized in blue-collar and community-driven engagement.

FAQ

What does Apna do? +

Apna is a mobile-first job marketplace connecting employers to blue and gray-collar workers in India. It features 70+ professional communities, AI-driven matching, bulk hiring tools, and integrated WhatsApp chat for candidate engagement. Employers post jobs, review profiles, and contact candidates; job seekers access real-time alerts, interview prep, and professional networking.

How much does Apna cost? +

Base cost is ₹600 (~$7.20) per job post with 15-day visibility. Employers review profiles free and pay only to contact candidates (14 Apna Coins for detailed profile/contact info, 28 Coins for CSV export). Enterprise plans with custom pricing offer WhatsApp invites, branding, ATS integration, and dedicated account managers.

What are alternatives to Apna? +

LinkedIn Jobs is a global professional network better for white-collar roles; Indeed is a broad job board with wider geographic reach; Naukri.com is India's leading job portal but historically focused on IT and white-collar roles rather than blue-collar workers.

Who uses Apna? +

150,000+ registered companies including Zomato, Flipkart, BigBasket, Licious, Unacademy, WhiteHat Jr, and 100,000+ recruiters. Target customers are mid-market to enterprise employers in India hiring for field sales, delivery, telecalling, skilled trades, and entry-level positions.

How does Apna compare to Naukri.com? +

Apna is mobile-first and purpose-built for blue and gray-collar workers in India with community-driven, social engagement features; Naukri.com is a traditional broad job portal historically focused on IT and white-collar roles. Apna's AI matching and pay-per-contact model enable faster sourcing at lower cost for field and entry-level hiring.