Silicon Valley solo investor Lachy Groom committed $20 million to Bengaluru-based startup Pronto just 20 minutes into his first meeting with its founder, the companies confirmed in May 2026. The investment came as an extension of Pronto’s Series B round and valued the startup at $200 million — double its valuation from roughly two months earlier.
Pronto was founded in 2025 by 24-year-old Anjali Sardana, who previously worked at Bain Capital and venture firm 8VC. The platform connects households with workers for everyday tasks such as cleaning and basic home services. The company is based in Bengaluru, India.
The February meeting was arranged through Paul Hudson, founder of Glade Brook Capital, during Sardana’s trip to San Francisco. Groom said he was drawn to Pronto’s goal of building what he described as the world’s largest platform for organizing domestic labor, noting that Sardana’s team was “operating at a level I haven’t seen elsewhere in this space.” Sardana told TechCrunch that Groom’s investment process is heavily founder-focused, with the founder accounting for roughly 95% of his decision.
Pronto has grown from approximately 18,000 daily bookings to 26,000 in just over a month, and has expanded its network of service workers from 1,440 in January to 6,500. Sardana said demand continues to outpace supply, making capacity management a key operational challenge. The startup’s top 10% of users account for about 40% of all bookings.
The investment arrives as competition in India’s instant home services market intensifies. A Bank of America note reviewed by TechCrunch estimates the category could reach $15 billion to $18 billion by the end of the decade. Rivals Snabbit and Urban Company’s InstaHelp each hold roughly 40% market share, while Pronto holds around 20%. The sector is expected to remain capital-intensive over the next two to three years.
Source: TechCrunch