Hoopr

Cover Block

Name	Hoopr
Tagline	AI-powered music licensing platform for Indian content creators and brands
Headquarters	Mumbai, India
Founded	2021
Stage	Seed
Business Model	SaaS
Industry	Media / Entertainment
Technology	AI / Machine Learning
Geography	South Asia
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding Label	Seed (total disclosed ~$3,539,000)

Links

• Website: https://hoopr.ai
• LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/hooprofficial

What an Investor Needs First

Hoopr is building a defensible position in India's creator economy by licensing copyright-safe, locally sourced music to a fast-growing base of content creators and brands. The company's traction, moving from 10,000 active users in late 2022 to a reported 400,000 by early 2024, suggests product-market fit [Entrackr, Oct 2022][The Tribune, Feb 2024]. Founded in 2021 by music producer Gaurav Dagaonkar and entrepreneur Meghna Mittal, the business is structured around a fully owned catalog of over 25,000 Indian music tracks and sound effects, which it monetizes through a dual SaaS model for individuals and enterprises [Entrackr, Oct 2022][The Tribune, Feb 2024].

Its differentiation rests on clearing the complex rights landscape for Indian music and augmenting discovery with AI tools. To date, the company has raised a confirmed $1.5 million seed round and is in the midst of a pre-Series A, with participation from a mix of India-focused venture funds and government-backed MeitY, marketed at a valuation of approximately ₹160 crore ($19 million) [Entrackr, Oct 2022][CNBC-TV18, 2024].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core traction and funding metrics are from single-source press reports; catalog size and founder roles have partial corroboration.

Inside the Company

Hoopr, operating under parent entity GSharp Media, was founded in Mumbai in 2021 by music producer Gaurav Dagaonkar and entrepreneur Meghna Mittal [Entrackr, Oct 2022]. The company was launched to address a specific gap in the Indian creator economy, licensing copyright-safe music for digital content. Its founding thesis was to specialize in Indian music, building a catalog where the company entirely owns the sound recording and publishing rights to avoid legal issues for its users [Entrackr, Oct 2022].

By October 2022, the platform reported a catalog of over 25,000 music tracks and 3,000 sound effects, alongside approximately 10,000 active users [Entrackr, Oct 2022]. The company secured its first institutional capital, a $1.5 million seed round, in December 2021 from a consortium of India-focused investors including 100Unicorns, 91Ventures, Venture Catalysts, and IPV [Entrackr, Oct 2022] [The Tribune, Feb 2024].

By early 2024, Hoopr reported over 400,000 users and more than 200 brand clients, introducing a twin-engine model with separate offerings for creators and enterprises [The Tribune, Feb 2024]. The company also entered a pre-Series A funding round with participation from Inflection Point Ventures, The Chennai Angels, and MeitY [The Tribune, Feb 2024]. More recently, partnerships with major labels like Universal Music India and YRF Music have been announced [Music Ally, Jan 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Founding details and early milestones confirmed by Entrackr; subsequent user and partnership metrics are company-reported via press.

Under the Hood

Hoopr's product strategy is built on a two-sided wedge: a fully owned catalog of Indian music and a set of AI tools designed to simplify licensing. The platform operates on a twin-engine model, separating its offerings for individual creators and enterprise clients [The Tribune, Feb 2024]. For creators, the core is a subscription-based library of music and sound effects. For brands, the 'Hoopr Smash' product provides enterprise-grade licensing, custom music creation, and AI-driven brand-matching tools.

As of late 2022, the company reported owning over 25,000 music tracks and 3,000 sound effects, with all rights held by Hoopr [Entrackr, Oct 2022]. The library has since expanded through partnerships with major Indian labels, including YRF Music and Universal Music India [Music Ally, Jan 2026].

Hoopr positions itself as an "AI-powered music licensing platform." Cited AI applications include a 'brand match score' to align music with a brand's identity, a 'content-idea generator,' and tools for copyright violation detection [Music Ally, Jan 2026] [Business News This Week]. Integration with other creator tools is also part of the stack, with a confirmed plug-in for Adobe Express [Music Ally, Jan 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core product claims are reported by multiple outlets. Specific AI feature details and partnership integrations are from single-source press coverage.

Market Research

According to a 2023 report by Bain & Company and the World Economic Forum, India's creator economy was projected to reach a market size of $100-150 billion by 2025 [Bain & Company, 2023]. Hoopr's SAM can be inferred from its target verticals: the over 400,000 creators and 200+ brand clients it reports serving [The Tribune, Feb 2024].

Demand drivers include the proliferation of short-form video platforms, heightened copyright enforcement, and the localization of advertising. Hoopr's partnership with major Indian labels like YRF Music and Universal Music India directly serves this need [Music Ally, Jan 2026].

Metric	Value
India Creator Economy (Projected 2025)	125 $B
Reported Hoopr User Base (Feb 2024)	0.4 million users
Reported Hoopr Brand Clients (Feb 2024)	200 clients

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing is inferred from analogous, credible third-party reports. User and client metrics are company-reported via press.

Competition and Substitutes

Hoopr operates in a niche defined by regional music rights, positioning itself as a specialized, AI-augmented alternative to global music libraries for the Indian creator and brand market.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator
Hoopr	AI-powered licensing for Indian music & SFX, dual model for creators (Hoopr) and brands (Hoopr Smash).	Seed; ~$3.5M total disclosed.	Fully owned catalog of 25k+ Indian tracks; partnerships with YRF, UMG India; MeitY as investor.
Artlist	Global music, SFX, and stock footage marketplace with subscription and credit-based models.	Acquired by Shutterstock in 2021 for $200M.	High-quality curated content, integrated stock media offering, strong brand recognition.

Hoopr's defensible edge rests on its proprietary catalog of owned Indian music and its early government and label partnerships. Owning the rights to its 25,000-track library is a significant upfront investment [Entrackr, Oct 2022]. Partnerships with major Indian labels like Yash Raj Films and Universal Music India provide a steady pipeline of premium content [Music Ally, Jan 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor profiles are well-established, but Hoopr's differentiation claims are based on company statements and partnership announcements.

Opportunity

Hoopr is positioned to capture a significant share of a rapidly expanding market for legal, culturally relevant audio. The core bet is that as India's creator and brand content markets mature, the demand for legally clear, localized music will shift from an afterthought to a necessity.

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst
Embedded B2B Standard	Hoopr's API or plug-in becomes the default music layer for India's major content creation and social platforms.	The existing partnership with Adobe Express, providing a Hoopr plug-in, demonstrates a successful embed model [Music Ally, Jan 2026].
Enterprise Land-and-Expand	The 'Hoopr Smash' enterprise arm becomes the music procurement standard for Indian mid-market and large corporations.	A major brand client case study, leveraging the reported 'brand match score' AI tool, validates ROI [Music Ally, Jan 2026].
Regional Music Hub	Hoopr evolves from a licensing marketplace into the primary monetization and discovery platform for independent Indian artists.	Expansion of programs like the Artist Accelerator with Universal Music India [Music Ally, Jan 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Growth scenarios and compounding logic are extrapolated from cited partnerships, user metrics, and product features.

Sources

1. [Entrackr, Oct 2022] Hoopr gives Indian independent music artists a platform to get discovered | https://entrackr.com
2. [The Tribune, Feb 2024] Hoopr raises undisclosed amount from The Chennai Angels in Pre-Series A round | https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/business/hoopr-raises-undisclosed-amount-from-the-chennai-angels-in-pre-series-a-round-591131
3. [CNBC-TV18, 2024] Music licensing platform Hoopr Official opens its Pre-Series A at a ₹160 Cr valuation | https://www.cnbctv18.com/videos/technology/music-licensing-platform-hoopr-official-opens-its-pre-series-a-at-a-160-cr-valuation-18870091.htm
4. [Music Ally, Jan 2026] Hoopr partners with Universal Music India and YRF Music | https://musically.com/2026/01/15/hoopr-partners-universal-music-india-yrf-music/
5. [Business News This Week] Hoopr: AI-powered music licensing platform for Indian creators | https://businessnewsthisweek.com/technology/hoopr-ai-powered-music-licensing-platform-for-indian-creators
6. [YourStory] Hoopr's Songfest counts brands like Mars Wrigley, Nestle among clients | https://yourstory.com
7. [Neha Sharad LinkedIn, 2026] Post on Hoopr's artist collaborations and royalty disbursements | https://www.linkedin.com/in/neha-sharad-166b71156/
8. [Bain & Company, 2023] India's Creator Economy: A $100-150 Billion Opportunity | https://www.bain.com/insights/indias-creator-economy-a-100-150-billion-opportunity/
9. [Bloomberg, Oct 2022] Epidemic Sound Valued at $1.4 Billion in New Funding Round | https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-05/epidemic-sound-valued-at-1-4-billion-in-new-funding-round