In just six months since its launch, Bengaluru-based trading platform Sahi has raised $10.5 million in Series A funding led by Accel and Elevation Capital. Founded by former Swiggy CTO Dale Vaz and ex-Kotak Securities executive Manish Jain, the startup is building an AI-driven platform aimed at power users in India’s fast-evolving trading ecosystem.
Credits: Inc 42
A Fresh Bet on Broking
Sahi’s recent fundraise comes a year and a half after its seed round in September 2023, also backed by Accel and Elevation. What began as a bold vision to modernize personal trading has rapidly gained investor confidence. The new funds will fuel Sahi’s product innovation roadmap, especially in automation and AI integration, while also helping the company expand its lean but sharp 35-member team.
Sahi operates under its own broking license through Aaritya Broking Pvt Ltd, allowing it full control over its technology and compliance stack—a strategic advantage in a heavily regulated market.
Why Now Is the Right Time
Despite regulatory shifts that disrupted futures and options (F&O) trading late last year, Sahi’s founders remain bullish on timing. “While December brought some changes, markets stabilized by February, and we’ve seen steady growth since,” said Jain.
He believes the long-term opportunity in self-directed trading tools is only getting stronger as retail participation deepens. “The number of individuals with capital to invest is growing. It’s a great time to build a platform tailored to them.”
Built From the Ground Up
What sets Sahi apart is its fully in-house tech stack. While most brokers rely on external tools like TradingView, Sahi has developed its own proprietary charting engine and execution backend. This integrated experience allows users to research, trade, and manage positions without switching tabs or tools.
“You can place trades directly on charts, set stop-loss levels with a slider, and track your P&L in real time—all on one screen,” explained Vaz. This focus on maintaining a trader’s mental flow is at the heart of Sahi’s design philosophy.
User Traction and Engagement
In under six months, Sahi has crossed 2 lakh app downloads, with almost 50% of users classified as “power users”—those executing over 100 trades. The platform boasts trade frequency nearly double the industry average.
Interestingly, about 15% of Sahi’s users are profitable—a noteworthy figure given that SEBI data shows only 7% of retail F&O traders typically turn a profit. While it’s early days, this signals that the platform may be fostering more disciplined, informed trading behavior.
Affordability and Automation
Sahi charges just ₹10 per trade—half the industry norm of ₹20—keeping user costs low. According to Vaz, brokerage fees account for over half of many traders’ annual costs. “Most traders already lose money. High fees only worsen outcomes. Our automation-first approach allows us to run lean and pass those savings on.”
The company is structured intentionally as a lean organization, with AI tools used both internally for operations and externally for user experience. “We’re not building a massive cost base that the user has to pay for,” Vaz added.
Roadmap: AI and Beyond
Sahi’s future includes advanced AI-powered trading tools, particularly as SEBI opens up algo trading for retail users. The company is working on no-code strategy builders and multi-leg options execution tools designed to bring institutional-grade sophistication to individual investors.
One such feature already live is an AI-generated market summary tool. It provides real-time snapshots of indices like Nifty and Bank Nifty using data such as option Greeks and price trends. While not predictive, it helps traders orient themselves quickly.
Vision for Personal Finance
Though broking is the core offering today, Sahi’s long-term goal is broader. “We want to build smart, structured tools across the personal finance spectrum,” said Jain. The company sees a future where automation, transparency, and personalization define the investing journey for millions of Indians.
Backed by deep conviction from its investors and driven by a mission to disrupt the traditional broking mold, Sahi is setting out to redefine what it means to trade smart in India.
