Apna, jobs app for India's blue-collar workers, raises $70 mn in funding

Apna is sort of a LinkedIn for non-English speaking and non-affluent Indians, says its founder.

Apna, an app startup that helps India’s blue-collar workers find jobs, has raised $70 million from Tiger Global and Insight Partners at a valuation of $570 million.

Existing investors including Sequoia Capital India and Lightspeed India participated in the Series B funding round. The capital will help with technology improvements, talent acquisition and expansion to the U.S. and Southeast Asia, the Bangalore-based startup announced Wednesday.

India has been among the hardest-hit countries during Covid-19, though employment is recovering in a sign Asia’s third-largest economy may be turning a corner. Apna, whose app went live just before the pandemic hit, has grown 50