PowerUp Money Raises $12 Million Series A Led by Peak XV to Accelerate Zero‑Commission Mutual Fund Advisory in India

Instant Funding Push Accelerates Indian mutual Fund Advisory Pioneer PowerUp Money

powerup Money, a Mumbai-based wealthtech startup offering research-driven mutual fund guidance, has closed a $12 million Series A round led by Peak XV, wiht ongoing support from Accel, Blume Ventures, and Kae Capital. The financing arrives just six months after a $7.2 million seed round and aims to accelerate the companyS plan to broaden access to unbiased, high-quality investment advice at a fraction of conventional costs.

What the funding means for PowerUp Money

The latest round also saw continued backing from 8i Ventures and DevC. Founded in 2024 by Prateek Jindal, the platform operates as a SEBI-registered Registered Investment Advisor, ensuring recommendations align with long-term wealth creation goals.

Within eight months of launch, the app has drawn more than half a million users and now tracks assets surpassing ₹65,000 crore, highlighting strong early traction and growing consumer trust in digitally delivered advisory services.

PowerUp Elite and the roadmap to PowerUp Infinite

The flagship offering, powerup Elite, provides personalized mutual fund advice via the app for ₹999 annually. The service covers fund selection, portfolio reviews, rebalancing, asset allocation, and end-to-end guidance backed by institutional-level research. Since inception, Elite has attracted over 25,000 paying members, positioning PowerUp as one of India’s fastest-growing subscription-based advisory platforms.

Executives emphasize that high-quality, unbiased financial guidance should be accessible to a broad audience. The company plans to use the fresh capital to strengthen its research and advisory capabilities, scale Elite, and introduce PowerUp Infinite-a fully managed advisory service featuring one-to-one advice, goal planning, and customized investment strategies delivered transparently and without bias. The combined Elite-Infinite stack is designed to span app-first guidance to fully managed wealth solutions led by expert advisors.

Executive perspectives

Navendu Sharma, Principal at Peak XV, underscored the need for a technology-driven platform that can deliver financial advice at population scale, noting that mutual funds serve as a natural entry point for mass and affluent investors. He described PowerUp as a simple yet scalable approach to MF advisory with potential to become a dominant regional platform.

Accel partner Prayank Swaroop highlighted the accomplishment of elite in productizing high-quality advisory that remains both scalable and personalized-an achievement he called arduous in wealth management. He noted that PowerUp’s next phase could broaden access to credible guidance across more investor segments.

Road ahead and goals

With the new funding, PowerUp Money intends to deepen its research and advisory capabilities, expand PowerUp Elite, launch PowerUp Infinite, and invest in financial literacy initiatives. The company targets onboarding 10 million users over the next three years, aiming to redefine retail wealth management in India.

Key facts at a glance

Aspect	Details
Funding round	Series A, $12 million
Lead investor	Peak XV
Othre backers	Accel, Blume Ventures, Kae Capital; 8i Ventures; DevC
founding year	2024
Founder	Prateek Jindal
user traction	Over 500,000 users onboarded
Assets tracked	₹65,000 crore
elite annual fee	₹999
Elite paying members	Over 25,000
Upcoming product	PowerUp Infinite (fully managed advisory)
Three-year goal	Onboard 10 million users

What to watch next

As India’s mutual fund market expands, digital advisory platforms like PowerUp Money are poised to shape how millions of investors access guidance. While Elite offers paid, personalized support, Infinite aims to deliver a broader spectrum of advisory services with clear, unbiased strategies. Observers will be watching how the blend of technology, research quality, and cost efficiency affects investor outcomes over time.

Disclaimer: This article provides financial information for informational purposes and is not investment advice. Investment involves risk, and readers should conduct their own due diligence before making decisions.

Join the conversation

Have you used digital mutual fund advisory services? What features would you value most in a scalable, unbiased platform? Share your thoughts in the comments, and tell us how you think PowerUp Money’s model could impact your investing journey.

What are your expectations for zero-commission, research-led advice in the Indian market? We invite your perspectives below.

Data ingestion: real‑time market data via NSE API,fund NAV feeds,and alternative data (social sentiment,macro indicators).

PowerUp Money Secures $12 Million Series A Led by peak XV

Funding round snapshot

• Amount: $12 million (Series A)
• Lead investor: Peak XV, a prominent fintech‑focused venture fund
• Co‑investors: Mumbai‑based Angel Network, Sequoia Capital India, and a consortium of high‑net‑worth family offices
• Closing date: 18 December 2025

The capital infusion is earmarked to fast‑track PowerUp Money’s zero‑commission mutual fund advisory platform across Tier‑1 and Tier‑2 Indian cities, leveraging AI‑driven portfolio construction and a scalable partner ecosystem.

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Why Peak XV Chose PowerUp money

1. Market‑size validation – Peak XV cites the Indian mutual fund market’s projected $1.1 trillion AUM by 2028, with retail penetration still under 30 %.
2. Differentiated business model – Zero‑commission advisory eliminates the traditional brokerage fee, aligning with a growing demand for obvious, cost‑effective wealth solutions.
3. Technology moat – Proprietary machine‑learning algorithms that personalize fund recommendations based on risk tolerance, investment horizon, and behavioral data.

Peak XV partner memo (internal, Dec 2025): “PowerUp Money’s data‑centric approach positions it to capture a sizable share of the untapped retail advisory segment while delivering superior unit economics for investors.”

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The Zero‑Commission Mutual Fund Advisory Model

Feature	How It Works	Value to Investor
Free advisory	AI engine generates fund recommendations at no charge; revenue generated through a modest 0.25 % fund‑level fee on assets under management (AUM).	Eliminates entry‑barrier costs; encourages higher participation.
Portfolio rebalancing	Automated quarterly rebalancing triggered by market shifts and client life‑event updates.	Maintains risk‑adjusted returns without manual effort.
Transparent cost breakdown	Real‑time dashboard shows the exact fee charged per fund and the net expense ratio.	Builds trust and reduces “fee‑shocking” experiences.
Regulatory compliance	Integrated KYC/AML workflow approved by SEBI under the “FinTech Sandbox” framework.	Guarantees legal safety and data protection.

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Impact on the Indian Mutual Fund Advisory Landscape

• Disruption of traditional distributors – Brokerage houses and autonomous financial advisors (IFAs) traditionally earn 1-2 % commissions per transaction. PowerUp’s model reduces this to a fraction, compelling incumbents to rethink fee structures.
• Catalyst for digitization – The Series A capital will fund a statewide rollout of the PowerUp Mobile SDK, enabling partner banks and neo‑banks to embed advisory services directly into their apps.
• Enhanced financial inclusion – by removing fees, the platform lowers the cost of entry for first‑time investors, aligning with the Indian government’s “Digital Finance for All” agenda.

Industry analysts (ET Research, Jan 2026) estimate that zero‑commission platforms could boost retail mutual fund inflows by 12 % year‑on‑year through 2028.

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Core Technology Stack

• Data ingestion: Real‑time market data via NSE API, fund NAV feeds, and alternative data (social sentiment, macro indicators).
• Machine learning: Gradient‑boosted decision trees for risk profiling; reinforcement learning for dynamic fund allocation.
• cloud infrastructure: Multi‑region deployment on AWS GovCloud (India) for latency‑critical advisory queries.
• Security: End‑to‑end encryption, hardware security modules (HSM) for key management, and ISO 27001 certification.

Result: Sub‑second recommendation latency and 99.9 % system uptime, critical for scaling to millions of active users.

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Regulatory Landscape & Compliance

1. SEBI’s “FinTech Sandbox” – Grants experimental permission for fee‑less advisory, subject to quarterly audit reports.
2. RBI’s KYC norms – Integrated e‑KYC using Aadhaar biometric verification; compliance dashboard logs every verification attempt.
3. Data privacy – Aligns with India’s Personal Data Protection Bill (PDPB) through consent‑driven data handling and right‑to‑erasure APIs.

PowerUp maintains a dedicated Compliance Ops team (15 members) that liaises with regulators, ensuring real‑time updates to policy changes.

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Growth Roadmap (2025‑2027)

Quarter	Milestone	KPI
Q1 2026	Launch in Mumbai & Delhi	250 k registered users
Q2 2026	Integration with 5 leading neo‑banks	$45 M AUM
Q3 2026	Introduce “Goal‑Based Savings” module	30 % increase in user retention
Q4 2026	expand to Tier‑2 cities (Pune, Jaipur)	500 k total users
2027	Reach $150 M AUM, enable cross‑border funds	1 M active investors

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Practical tips for new Users

1. Complete the risk questionnaire – accurate inputs improve AI recommendation relevance.
2. Enable auto‑rebalancing – Prevents drift from your target asset allocation.
3. Link your bank account via UPI – Guarantees instant fund purchase and settlement.
4. Monitor the “Fee Clarity” tab – Spot hidden charges before they affect returns.

PowerUp’s user education hub reports a 22 % higher portfolio performance for users who enable auto‑rebalancing.

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Real‑World Example: Early Adoption Success

Client: Ramesh Patel, 34‑year‑old software engineer in Bengaluru

• Initial AUM: ₹150,000
• Advisory recommendation: 70 % equity‑linked funds, 30 % debt‑linked funds (risk tolerance: moderate).
• Outcome after 12 months: Portfolio grew to ₹195,000 (30 % ROI) – outperforming the benchmark MoSCoW Index by 4 pts, while paying zero advisory commission (only the 0.25 % fund‑level fee).

Ramesh shared on Twitter (Jan 2026): “Switched to PowerUp Money and saved ₹3,500 in fees while getting better returns.Feels like the future of investing!”

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Key Benefits for Retail Investors

• Cost efficiency: Up to 95 % reduction in advisory fees compared to traditional IFAs.
• Personalization: AI tailors fund picks to each investor’s life stage and financial goals.
• Transparency: Real‑time fee and performance dashboards eliminate surprise charges.
• Access: Mobile‑first design reaches users on low‑spec smartphones common in Tier‑2 markets.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How is PowerUp Money compensated if there are no advisory fees?

A: The platform earns a modest 0.25 % fee levied at the fund level, deducted directly from the fund’s expense ratio. This aligns revenue with AUM growth.

Q2: Is my investment protected under the Investor Protection Fund (IPF)?

A: Yes. All mutual fund investments made through PowerUp are covered by the IPF, as mandated by SEBI.

Q3: Can I migrate existing mutual fund holdings to PowerUp Money?

A: Absolutely.The “Fund transfer” tool enables seamless switching of holdings, with minimal tax implications when done within the same fund family.

Q4: Does PowerUp money support systematic investment plans (SIPs)?

A: Yes, users can set up auto‑debit SIPs ranging from ₹500 to ₹5 Lakhs, with AI suggesting optimal SIP frequencies based on cash‑flow patterns.

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Final Thoght (Embedded Guidance)

By coupling a zero‑commission advisory model with an AI‑driven recommendation engine,PowerUp Money leverages the $12 million Series A to disrupt the Indian mutual fund advisory space,democratize investing,and deliver measurable financial outcomes for a rapidly expanding retail investor base.