haf.vc, a SEBI-registered Category I venture capital fund backed by the decade-long legacy of Hyderabad Angels, has invested ₹3 crore in Hunar.AI, a conversational artificial intelligence company focused on frontline workforce management. The investment will support Hunar.AI’s AI infrastructure, product development, sales and market expansion. The company plans to reach more businesses that recruit and manage large workforces across multiple locations and languages.
Founded in 2022 by Krishna Khandelwal and Shantanu Bhattacharyya, Hunar.AI develops conversational AI agents that help businesses recruit, onboard, train and engage frontline employees through voice and WhatsApp. Its technology is designed to support workforce-related processes across different languages, addressing the requirements of sectors that depend on large numbers of frontline workers.
haf.vc said the investment reflects its focus on companies with scalable business models, differentiated technology and the potential to address large market requirements. The fund follows a pan-India investment strategy, working with other investors to identify businesses across sectors and regions.
Kalyan Sivalenka, Managing Partner at haf.vc, said India’s frontline workforce remained underserved by technology despite its size and linguistic diversity. He noted that Hunar.AI had developed its technology based on practical experience in workforce services and understood the operational requirements of the businesses it serves. Mr Sivalenka added that the investment, alongside Blume Ventures and other investors, reflected haf.vc’s approach of supporting founders across India while drawing on its Hyderabad base.
Krishna Khandelwal, Co-founder and CEO of Hunar.AI, said Hyderabad’s growing logistics, retail and services sectors presented significant demand for frontline recruitment and workforce management solutions. He said haf.vc’s investment would help the company expand its presence in the region and introduce its multilingual conversational AI to more enterprises in Telangana.
The funding will help Hunar.AI strengthen its technology infrastructure and develop its products as it expands its customer reach. Its voice- and WhatsApp-based systems are intended to simplify communication with frontline workers and support businesses managing employees across dispersed locations.
haf.vc works with founders through capital, strategic mentorship and access to a network of entrepreneurs, industry experts and investors. Its investment approach combines the experience of Hyderabad Angels with a venture capital structure to support early-stage companies.
haf.vc is a SEBI-registered Category I venture capital fund established to build on the decade-long legacy of Hyderabad Angels. The fund supports early-stage businesses through investment, mentorship and industry connections, with a pan-India approach to identifying investment opportunities.
