Grapevine, an anonymous professional networking platform based in Bengaluru, has raised $4.1 million (around ₹37–38 crore) in a funding round led by Kae Capital, Peak XV Partners and Unilazer Ventures. The startup will use the funds to deepen its artificial intelligence capabilities and expand its career-tech offerings across India.
Funding to boost AI-driven hiring
The fresh capital will be directed towards scaling Grapevine’s AI products, including TAL (Talent Agent Layer) and its interview-preparation service, Round1. The company said it will invest in product development, refine matching algorithms and grow adoption among technology and startup professionals.
Grapevine has built an engaged community of over one million users, predominantly from India’s startup ecosystem. Backers of the round cited the platform’s community-driven data and AI-first approach as key differentiators from traditional job portals.
TAL: a proactive job-discovery agent
TAL is an AI-powered agent designed to change the conventional job-search model. Rather than requiring users to browse listings, the agent continuously scans opportunities and recommends roles tailored to an individual’s profile, preferences and on-platform behaviour.
By analysing career interests, skills and community signals, TAL aims to minimise irrelevant applications and increase alignment between candidates and roles. The tool represents a shift from passive job searching to a proactive, system-driven discovery process.
Evolution from anonymous forum to career platform
Founded in 2023 by Saumil Tripathi, Jainam Talsania and Shreeyash Dharmadhikari, Grapevine first gained attention as an anonymous forum where professionals discussed salaries, layoffs and workplace culture. The candid conversations generated rich, real-time insights into job-market trends and candidate preferences.
Leveraging that community intelligence, Grapevine has expanded into a full-stack career platform that now combines job discovery with interview preparation and AI-enhanced matching. As recruitment increasingly adopts AI globally, the company aims to position itself as a leading career-tech player in India focused on smarter, faster and more personalised hiring experiences.
