Commercial real estate (CRE) investment platform Strata has raised $6 million Series A funding led by Kotak Investment Advisors Limited, Gruhas Proptech and Sabre Investments. Other investors like Elevation Capital, Mayfield India and Gemba Capital also participated.

Gruhas Proptech is an exclusive fund of Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath and Abhijeet Pai of Puzzolana Group, and Sabre Investments is an investment arm of Rahul Talwar, who belongs to the promoter family of DLF.

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Strata will use this capital to expand its asset under management (AUM) from about ₹330 crore at present to ₹1,500 crore by FY21-22. The company aims to expand across key markets like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Pune. The funds will also be used to accelerate product development and introduce new investment offerings. Strata also plans to double its team strength in the current fiscal year and will be hiring tech and product managers, investment managers, and asset managers.

Sudarshan Lodha, CEO, Strata, said, “Our aim is to democratise CRE as an asset class in India. This fresh round of financing comes at a critical point in our business, enabling us to accelerate our expansion plans and build and innovate our product portfolio.”

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Founded by Lodha and Priyanka Rathore in May 2019, Strata is an alternative investment platform for CRE assets. With its data-driven asset selection and single-window platform, the company says it brings transparency and ease of liquidity to CRE investments. Last year, it raised a $1.5-million seed round led by Elevation Capital and Mayfield India.

“Investment in CRE has predominantly remained off-limits for most sections of the investor community in India. However, Strata has managed to close the gap by giving investors accessibility, transparency, and affordability to invest in CRE through its offerings,” said Srini Sriniwasan, MD, Kotak Investment Advisors Limited.

Currently, Strata’s platform has over 15,000 users and more than 1,000 investors globally. Nearly 20 per cent of its investor base comprises non-resident Indians; the others include high net-worth individuals (HNIs), family offices, top management from Fortune 500 companies, ultra HNIs, and institutional investors.

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