Bengaluru startup Nearwala helps Kirana stores compete with quick-commerce apps

Bengaluru-based startup Nearwala, founded in 2024 by Rajiv Surendran and Rahul K. C., is building a hyperlocal retail platform aimed at helping small neighbourhood Kirana stores compete with digital-first players such as Amazon, Zepto and Blinkit. Rather than replacing shop owners’ existing billing systems, the platform works as an add-on layer offering inventory tracking, sales analytics and location-based promotional tools.

The founders previously built public-health technology for the Kerala government through their earlier venture, Qkopy. Nearwala grew out of an early 2021 pilot called Talking Shops in Calicut, before the current app launched following field testing that ran from mid-2023 into 2024.

The company says it has onboarded more than 7,000 merchants across 15 Indian cities and built a consumer base of over 600,000 shoppers, processing more than ₹15 crore in business volume during FY 2025-26. Merchants including La Pino’z Pizza and Five Star Chicken are among those using the platform.

Nearwala has raised ₹3.5 crore from angel investors after an initial ₹25 lakh bootstrap investment from its founders, and is now preparing for a $4 million funding round as it looks to expand to 50 cities.