Misfits Raises ₹5 Crore to Expand Hobby-Based Community Platform

Misfits, the hobby-based offline community platform, has raised ₹5 crores in seed funding, led by Info Edge Ventures and Better Capital. In a world where screens dominate and real connections feel harder to come by, Misfits is turning things around—bringing people together through hobby-based communities or clubs, as Misfits calls them, that make socialising exciting, meaningful, and real.

Whether someone's new in town, looking to try something different, or just wants to meet awesome people who share common passions, Misfits connects individuals through hobby-based activities, enabling people to discover like-minded people and build offline connections around shared interests. From intense football matches and brainy quiz nights to art, journaling, and music jam sessions, there’s a club for everyone.

Building Real Communities Through Passion and Participation

Each club, powered by independent club leaders, hosts weekly meetups at local venues, transforming everyday hangouts into vibrant social experiences. Think of these club leaders as the heart and soul of Misfits, running their communities with the same flair and independence as a restaurant owner on Zomato or a host on Airbnb. Their passion drives the platform, and Misfits empowers them with the tools to turn their hobbies into thriving communities.

While independent club leaders curate the meetups, venue partners enjoy higher footfalls and a boost in revenue, creating a win-win ecosystem where everyone benefits.

Founded by IIT Kanpur graduates Shashwat Narhatiyar, Chaitanya Dhawan, Saurabh Sharma, and Shaswat Kar, Misfits has already made waves in Gurugram with 25,000+ organic app downloads and over 3000 social meetups hosted since launch. This growth has been fueled by word-of-mouth, as people discover the magic of meeting new people while doing what they love.

Doubling Down on Growth and Expansion Across India

With this fresh round of seed funding, Misfits is doubling down on its mission to redefine how people socialise. The company plans to enhance its mobile platform, making it even easier for people to join, create and grow communities while expanding into new cities across urban India. Whether it’s sports, board games, music, or outdoor adventures, Misfits is on a mission to make it simple (and fun) to find your tribe.

Currently active in Gurugram, Misfits has plans to expand into other regions of Delhi NCR in the next three months. As Misfits continues to grow, one thing is clear—this is more than just a platform; it’s a movement to bring people together, one club at a time.

Shashwat Narhatiyar, Co-founder and CEO, Misfits - "The seed of Misfits was born five years ago while doing a college assignment, driven by the belief that virtual social media platforms do not necessarily create meaningful human connections. We saw the need for a space where people could truly connect through shared interests, beyond just online interactions. That vision led us to build Misfits, an offline, hobby-based community platform that nurtures real-world connections. We’re excited to keep growing a movement that brings people together in meaningful ways."

“We started Misfits to solve a problem we faced ourselves,” said Chaitanya Dhawan, Co-founder and CMO, Misfits - “Despite living closer than ever, people today feel increasingly disconnected. My co-founders and I experienced this firsthand, what started as casual meetups in our home in Gurgaon evolved into multiple thriving communities. Our growth is entirely organic, driven by people seeking genuine social connections. We believe interest-based social clubs provide that sense of belonging, and Misfits is here to make it easy for anyone to create or join a vibrant community”

Rishabh Katiyar, Principal at Info Edge Ventures, said “Misfits is building a platform that lets users discover what to do on weekends or in their free time with friends and like-minded people. There is a clear need for such a platform, but this problem is still unsolved. The company has been witnessing strong organic traction and high customer NPS. Their unique model of enabling club leaders to run their own interest-based clubs is enabling Misfits to scale fast in a capital-efficient manner”

Vaibhav Domkundwar, CEO, Better Capital - "Misfits is the 'AirBnB of Human Connections" and we are excited to be early backers of a team that has built a unique solution around this vision"