Nearwala onboards 7,000 merchants as it takes on quick-commerce apps in Kirana retail

Nearwala, a Bengaluru-based retail technology startup, has onboarded more than 7,000 merchants across 15 Indian cities since launching, as it works to help neighbourhood Kirana stores compete against quick-commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit. The company was founded in 2024 by Rajiv Surendran and Rahul K. C., who previously built public-health tech for the Kerala government.

Rather than replacing shop owners’ existing systems, Nearwala layers on top of them, offering sales analytics, stock-tracking tools and hyperlocal promotional features that let merchants target nearby customers. The platform has built a consumer base of over 600,000 shoppers and processed more than ₹15 crore in business volume in FY 2025-26.

Merchants on the platform include chains such as La Pino’z Pizza and Five Star Chicken. Nearwala also works with brands like Tata Motors to run hyperlocal marketing campaigns aimed at testing offline purchase behaviour.

The company has raised ₹3.5 crore from angel investors and is preparing for a $4 million funding round as it looks to expand to 50 cities.