DrinkPrime, India’s leading provider of solutions for quality water purifiers, has raised Rs 21 crores ($3 million) in a Pre Series A round from Omidyar Network India and Sequoia Surge. The raise will help the Bangalore-based start up to strengthen its team and invest in its growth plans.

DrinkPrime allows users to ‘subscribe-to-use’ the company’s advanced modular water purifiers, rather than bearing high upfront costs and ongoing servicing charges for water purifying systems in their homes. DrinkPrime has created smart water purifiers, leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technology and a seven-stage filtration process, that give its customers access to clean drinking water on tap while being charged on a ‘pay-as-you-use’ model.  

DrinkPrime was founded by Vijender Reddy Muthyala and Manas Ranjan Hota in 2015 with a vision to provide safe drinking water for everyone. The goal of the founders is to use technology to make drinking water affordable without the hassle of installation or periodic maintenance, while ensuring high quality drinking water. The DrinkPrime service is currently operational in Bangalore, and the company will use the funds to expand to the Top 10 Indian cities and expand its product portfolio to better serve its customer segments.

Vijender Reddy Muthyala, CEO and Co-founder of Drink Prime, said, “We are currently operating in Bangalore and looking to expand to multiple geographies this year. Now with a much more robust product, our customers' love for DrinkPrime is pushing us to grow rapidly. We aim to reach a million households in the next couple of years and be true to our vision”. 

Speaking about the investment Badri Pillapakkam, Investment Partner, Omidyar Network India said, “Clean drinking water is a basic right and yet an unsolved problem for millions of Indian households. We believe that DrinkPrime's innovative direct-to-consumer business model, which makes quality drinking water more affordable, will help improve the lives of India’s next half billion, i.e. those belonging to the lower 60 % of India’s economic distribution. We are delighted to partner with them in their quest for creating meaningful and healthy lives.”