Peepul Tree, a live-commerce platform for Indian artisans, raised $6 million in seed funding led by Elevar Equity to enhance visibility and compensate artisans fairly while tapping into the creator economy.

Target Information

Peepul Tree is a pioneering live-commerce platform dedicated to connecting Indian artisans with global consumers. Founded in 2022 by Anish Williams, Mini Menon, and Priya Jayaraman, the platform seeks to enhance the visibility of India’s rich cultural heritage through captivating and shoppable stories and experiences. Recently, Peepul Tree successfully raised $6 million in seed funding led by Elevar Equity, with the intention of supporting a diverse array of artisans and content creators.

The funds raised are earmarked for various initiatives, including the onboarding of content creators to highlight the cultural narratives behind artisan products. Additionally, the capital will be invested in digitizing the artisan supply chain and developing technology to facilitate seamless interactions among artisans, content creators, and customers within a unified platform. Peepul Tree aims to support 100,000 artisans and over 500 crafts, and to onboard 1,000 content creators by the end of 2023.

Industry Overview

India's artisan and handicraft industry provides livelihoods to approximately 200 million individuals, encompassing both formal and informal channels. Despite the vast population dependent on this sector, a significant challenge remains in