Circle Raises Rs 25 Cr Seed Funding Led by Nexus Venture Partners

Circle, a Bengaluru-based pre-owned goods marketplace, has raised Rs 25 crore in a seed funding round led by Nexus Venture Partners. Existing investor Titan Capital and Myntra co-founder Raveen Sastry also participated, alongside Delhivery COO Ajith Pai as an angel investor.

Founded in 2025 by Chirag Kataruka and Ankit Misra, Circle operates a managed customer-to-customer (C2C) marketplace that helps people buy and sell pre-owned products. The company plans to use the fresh capital to expand beyond Bengaluru, improve its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and strengthen the verification, logistics and customer trust infrastructure supporting its transactions.

The funding comes as Circle looks to scale its marketplace model across India while addressing key challenges in second-hand commerce, including pricing, product discovery, verification and delivery.

Circle's Seed Funding and Expansion Plans

The Rs 25 crore seed round will support Circle's expansion into markets beyond Bengaluru. The company also plans to strengthen its AI-based pricing and product discovery capabilities, alongside its product verification systems.

Another focus is expanding Circle's Trust Hubs and logistics network. These services are central to the company's managed marketplace approach, which aims to make buying and selling used products more convenient for customers.

Unlike a conventional listing platform, Circle combines technology with operational services to facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers. The company does not own the products listed on its platform. Instead, it supports transactions through verification, pickup, payments and buyer protection services.

As it enters additional markets, maintaining this operating model while expanding its logistics and verification capabilities will be an important part of its growth strategy.

How Circle's Pre-Owned Marketplace Works

Circle was founded in 2025 by Chirag Kataruka and Ankit Misra to facilitate transactions in the pre-owned goods market.

Its managed C2C marketplace connects people looking to sell used products with buyers searching for them. The platform uses AI-based technology to support pricing and product discovery, while verification and logistics services help manage the transaction process.

Circle offers products across several categories, including:

• Smartphones

• Gaming consoles

• Cameras

• Furniture

• Watches

• Handbags

• Sneakers

The platform's services include product verification, pickup and payments. It also offers buyers a three-day Circle Guarantee, providing an additional layer of protection for eligible purchases under the company's service model.

By combining marketplace technology with operational support, Circle is seeking to address some of the friction associated with second-hand transactions. Buyers may want greater confidence in product condition and authenticity, while sellers need an efficient way to reach interested customers and complete sales.

Circle's approach brings these elements together within a single marketplace experience.

Circle Reports Rs 25 Crore in Pre-Owned Sales

Circle said it facilitated approximately Rs 25 crore in pre-owned product sales within a year of launch.

The company also reported attracting more than 10 lakh visitors and generating 1 lakh listings in Bengaluru. These figures offer an early indication of activity on the platform as it builds its presence in the city's resale market.

According to Circle, sellers typically find buyers within three days. The company also said nearly 40% of its buyers return within 90 days, while half of its sellers list products again.

These reported figures point to repeat activity from both sides of the marketplace. Returning buyers can help generate additional transactions, while sellers who list products again can contribute to the platform's available inventory.

However, the company has not disclosed additional financial details such as its revenue, take rate, profitability or the precise breakdown of sales across product categories in the announcement.

AI, Verification and Logistics at the Core

Circle's next phase of development will focus on three areas: AI-based pricing, product discovery and verification.

Pricing is an important part of the pre-owned goods market, where products can vary significantly in condition, age and resale value. Circle plans to improve its pricing capabilities as it expands its marketplace.

Product discovery is another priority. A broader range of listings across smartphones, gaming devices, furniture, accessories and other categories makes it important for buyers to find relevant products efficiently.

Verification and logistics form the operational side of the platform. Circle plans to expand its Trust Hubs and logistics network to support its growth beyond Bengaluru. These capabilities are intended to help the company manage transactions while providing services such as product checks, pickup and payments.

Scaling these services across multiple cities could introduce operational complexity. Circle will need to extend its marketplace reach while maintaining the customer experience and service consistency on which its managed model depends.

What Circle's Funding Means for India's Resale Market

The latest funding gives Circle additional resources to expand its geographic footprint and invest in the technology and services behind its marketplace.

Its early traction includes approximately Rs 25 crore in facilitated pre-owned sales, more than 10 lakh visitors and 1 lakh listings in Bengaluru, according to the company. Reported repeat-purchase and relisting behaviour also provides an early signal of engagement among buyers and sellers.

The participation of Nexus Venture Partners, Titan Capital, Raveen Sastry and Ajith Pai brings investor backing to Circle's next stage of development.

The company's immediate priorities are clear: expand beyond Bengaluru, improve AI-driven marketplace capabilities, and grow its verification and logistics infrastructure.

Whether Circle can reproduce its reported early traction in new cities will be an important test as it works to scale its managed pre-owned marketplace across India.